Abduction
by mushs-grl13
Summary: Blaine goes missing. After a date with Kurt, he leaves for the night, but the next morning his car is still outside of Kurt's house. Kurt knows something terrible has happened. Who kidnapped Blaine and why? What does the kidnapper intend to do to him?
1. Something Wrong

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Welcome to my first Glee story! Hopefully you're still reading by this point, because if not, I truly failed. Lol.**

**-Casey**

Chapter 1. "Something Wrong"

Rain. The one element that had the power to completely destroy someone's day; _especially_ if that someone had a planned picnic with their boyfriend on what was _supposed_ to be a gorgeous sunny day.

Kurt sat propped on the couch by his knees, his arms draped over the back with his head resting heavily against them. There he sat watching in complete annoyance as the rain pattered against the window mocking him. Today was meant to be his special picnic date with Blaine but now the game had been called on account of rain.

"Stupid rain," Kurt huffed to himself. "Any day but today."

"What's wrong kid, somethin' eatin' ya?"

Kurt was startled by the sudden sound filling the room. He turned abruptly and was met by the concerned stare of his father.

"Oh it's nothing, dad," Kurt breathed out, turning back to face the offending rain. "Just that today was supposed to be mine and Blaine's date at the park. We were going to have a picnic."

Burt took a seat and regarded his pouting son with a sympathetic smirk.

His son had been dating that Blaine Anderson kid for months now. Blaine Anderson...ever the gentleman and overly polite. Burt really couldn't find a flaw in the kid and that tended to bother him from time to time. He had never met a 17 year old with the maturity he saw in Blaine. He was a teenager and no teenager was ever perfect. The only one who came close in his mind was Kurt but being a dad, he was biased. Still, Burt had no complaints and things seemed to be going well for the pair of them. Ever since Kurt's return from Nationals in New York, they seemed to be getting a little more on the serious side and once summer began, the duo were practically inseparable.

"You know, kid, there'll be many more sunny days to have a picnic with Blaine. No need to sulk about it—" Burt tried to empathize but he knew Kurt well. He knew that a dramatic tangent could potentially be in store and by golly was he right.

"Dad," Kurt spoke crisply. "Today was supposed to be _perfect_. I had it all planned out: the food, the music, just—just everything that a classic romantic picnic would consist of and now-now it's all ruined."

Kurt slumped down into a sitting position next to the older man. This way he could resume pouting without having to gaze at the backstabbing rain.

Burt placed an encouraging arm around his son and pulled him in for a half hug. They sat like that for a moment or so with Burt struggling to find some further words of encouragement but thankfully he was saved by the chiming of the doorbell, interrupting their father-son bonding time.

"Probably someone for Finn," Kurt stated breathily. He tore himself away from the couch and made his way half halfheartedly towards the door dragging his feet with every step. He undid the chain and opened the door half expecting to see Rachel Berry's overly zealous grin on the other side, but instead he was met with quite the opposite. A grin that could turn his knees into jelly, beautiful hazel eyes that caused his heart to race with every glance and a voice that took his breath away with every word uttered. One day he'd figure out the true color of those eyes as soon as he was done attempting to count the myriad of colors and becoming lost in them before he reached a total.

"Am I late?"

"Blaine!" Kurt thrust himself into the awaiting arms of his boyfriend, catching him a little off guard but Blaine quickly found his balance and held Kurt close, attempting to shield him from the rain that was steadily beating down upon them.

"Oh, I'm so stupid! Come in! You must be freezing in those wet clothes!" Kurt declared and all but dragged Blaine in through the doorway.

Blaine couldn't help but chuckle at Kurt's antics. He always was the cute one. He meandered over towards the living room whilst allowing Kurt to trail after him peeling the jacket off of his rain drenched body. Instantly Blaine felt warmer not having the wet article of clothing weighing him down. In the living room Burt still sat, taking in Blaine's appearance in the doorway.

"Blaine," Burt acknowledged with a nod of the head and a rare smile.

"Mr. Hummel," Blaine countered offering his hand and being met with a warm handshake in return.

Burt smiled as he stood up from the couch and with a shake of his head said, "Blaine, for the hundredth time call me Burt. Mr. Hummel was my father."

Blaine grinned sheepishly at the likeliness that it was now _literally _the hundredth time he was told. "Sorry Burt; won't happen again," He promised with a "scout's honor" type gesture.

Kurt had finally pranced his way into the room after hanging up Blaine's jacket. Burt took them both in and it was now that he had decided that he was less weary of Blaine and was beginning to truly warm up to him. Seeing the smile on his son's face warmed his heart to the full extent and he couldn't feel happier. The boys hadn't been together for a long time and they were both still so young, but he really wouldn't be surprised if the two of them ended up having a future together. Burt wasn't very knowledgeable about how many gay bachelors there were in Ohio, but he felt that Kurt couldn't have found someone better than Blaine. What more could he ask for? A man who could make his little boy happy and who he could trust to take care of him. Those really were the key components in finding the one who was right for your son weren't they ? _Alright Burt, before you feel any more girly and sentimental, leave now__. _He scolded himself.

"I'll leave you two then," He announced awkwardly as he began to depart but before he fully vacated the room he called back as an afterthought, "_Behave._"

The two boys laughed at Burt's warning and with that, they were alone.

"So, not that I'm not thrilled to see you, Blaine but I thought we decided that plans were out due to the storm," Kurt admitted staring longingly at the basket of things he prepared sitting forgotten in the far corner by the couch.

Blaine smirked and placed a finger beneath Kurt's chin, bringing his face up to meet his. "Rain couldn't stop me from seeing your lovely face today, Mr. Hummel."

"Very cheesy, Blaine and Mr. Hummel is my father," Kurt teased.

"You know you loved it anyway and apparently Mr. Hummel _isn't_ your father," He laughed at the same remark Burt had said to him earlier. It was uncanny how much Kurt took after his father even if the young countertenor couldn't see it.

"Well, what did you want to do now that our picnic day is ruined?" Kurt questioned, stealing another forlorn glance at the basket.

"What do you mean _ruined_?" Blaine inquired in mock shock. "I fully intend to have a picnic with you today; rain be damned!"

Kurt opened his mouth to respond but Blaine had already taken him by the hand, grabbed the picnic basket and pulled his boyfriend through the kitchen and toward the backdoor despite the taller boy's protests as he was dragged the full length of the Hudson-Hummel's kitchen.

"Blaine, it's_ pouring_ outside," Kurt objected, "My hair—"

"Will look fabulous," Blaine finished flirtatiously as he opened the backdoor. Kurt didn't have any more chance for protest before he was yanked out into the chilling down pour.

Kurt let out a squeak as the rain descended upon him. Blaine chuckled at Kurt's obvious discomfort and wasted no time as he began unfolding the blanket and placing it on top of the wet grass. The whole point of the blanket was kind of silly at this point since it was becoming equally as wet as everything else. Kurt was astounded by Blaine's romantic willingness; however, that he decided to force himself to bite his tongue at any further objection. Obviously Blaine was trying to be ever the romantic and attempt to save the day as usual.

"You're responsible for the outcome of my hair I'll have you know. No complaints from you if—" He was cut off by Blaine's lips pressing against his. It wasn't a strong kiss at all, just something gentle, warm, and soothing; plus, it stopped Kurt's complaining instantaneously. That was probably the idea behind it. "The shut Kurt the hell up" kiss. The kiss ended as quickly as it began and without a seconds pause, Blaine responded with, "My hair will look goofy too, dummy. I'll be little miss Curly-Sue over here once my hair dries." The sentence was complete with a wink causing Kurt to blush at the effect that this boy had on him with just one little wink.

The young couple took a seat on the sopping wet blanket as Kurt picked up the basket and began to dig through its contents. He took out the two egg salad sandwiches that he had worked diligently to prepare and frowned as they rapidly became two soggy piles of mulch in his hands as he handed one over to Blaine who in turn smiled at his boyfriend's handiwork and proceeded to take a bite of the spoiled sandwich.

"Tastes delicious," He declared as he went to take another bite.

Kurt let out a giggle and took a bite of his own. He made a face at the taste of the soggy rain-soaked bread and looked to Blaine. "You're just like Finn. Rain spoiled or not, you both will eat anything. I guarantee if he was on this picnic he would have finished both of these disgraces of inedible sustenance before we'd even set up the blanket."

"Well, I'm glad your brother's _not_ with us. If he was then how could I do this?" Blaine inquired as he weaved his fingers through Kurt's hair and pulled him closer so that their lips could meet. Despite the taste of the ruined egg salad, the kiss was absolutely incredible. Kurt had always dreamt of being kissed in the rain and now his wish had been granted...twice. Their tongues maneuvered together working as one. Blaine was the epitome of a great kisser; kissing him still made him feel as if the sun would shine on a cloudy day. The relationship was still at the stage where Kurt would list kissing Blaine as one of his favorite past times on his résumé. The only reason the kiss eventually came to an end was for the two of them to catch their breath.

"You really are an impeccable kisser, Mr. Anderson," Kurt complimented bashfully.

"Not so bad yourself, Mr. Hummel," Blaine responded taking another bite of the still deteriorating sandwich.

Overall, the picnic turned out to be better than Kurt could have imagined even despite the food being ruined and the fact that they and the blanket were both soaked to the bone. They laughed, joked, and kissed their way through the evening until darkness descended upon them. The rain had slowly but surely begun to ease up and at that point, the two boys have become two very sorry and shivering teenagers. With a final kiss they picked up their picnic shambles and headed back into the house. The warmth of the kitchen was the most heavenly of greetings as Kurt wasted no time in retrieving towels so that they could attempt to dry off.

"I can hardly wait to see that hair when it dries," Kurt teased as he took in Blaine's usually impeccably gelled hair matted down over his forehead.

Blaine chuckled as he rubbed the towel over his hair. "Trust me, that isn't a sight for sore eyes, rather a sight that would make your eyes sore," Blaine joked as he threw a glance over at the clock above the stove. "It's already 10?!"

"You're kidding?" Kurt responded in astonishment. Sure enough, Blaine was correct.

"I always lose track of time when I'm with you, you sneaky little devil," Blaine admonished, pulling his boyfriend into a rain-soaked hug.

Kurt didn't want to let go of Blaine just yet. He just wanted to hold him close for as long as he could but eventually he did have to let him go. Even though it was summer, Blaine still had a curfew of 11 and it was a bit of a drive back to his house.

"Are we still on for tomorrow?"

Kurt walked with Blaine to the door after he had declined a change of clothes declaring that nothing Kurt owned would even come close to fitting him.

"I'm sorry, can't. Turns out I'm double booked with another Warbler tomorrow. Do you mind?" Kurt teased.

Blaine pulled Kurt into a possessive goodbye kiss that almost caused Kurt to lose all the feeling in his legs. Once the kiss ended and Kurt felt like Gumby he smiled at his boyfriend and said, "I guess I could always cancel with the other guy."

Blaine shook his head and laughed. "You better."

After finally being freed from the adorable greedy hands of his boyfriend, Blaine was able to begin his treck from the Hummel's doorway to his car. Kurt had shut the door and Blaine found himself wishing he could have stayed longer. They were still in the honeymoon stage when they wanted to spend as much time as humanly possible together. That's what they say about young love, right? He was sure this was something a little more and he was in it for the long haul to find out. Still feeling the warmth of Kurt's lips on his, he smiled and reached for the handle of his car.

* * *

><p>After Kurt had closed the door behind his boyfriend, he brought his fingers to his lips and traced along them still feeling Blaine's lips on his. He smiled to himself feeling as if his insides consisted of melted goo and made his way up the stairs yawning the entire way to his room. It was evident that the day had worn him out with the planning and somehow flawless execution of the picnic plans. It was under these circumstances that he decided to call it an early night; he sent Blaine a quick text of:<p>

_Text me when you get home, honey. Even if I'm asleep just so I know you got home safe! Xoxo ~ Kurt Bornthisway~_

After a quick nightly moisturizing routine, he climbed into bed and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a peaceful sleep dreaming of nothing and no one but Blaine.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kurt woke up feeling instantly refreshed. Glancing over at the clock it read: 9:30AM. A whole 10 hours of sleep. <em>'Thank Gaga for summer'<em> Kurt thought to himself. He immediately checked his phone for at least one of two messages he was expecting: Blaine's arrival home and his good morning text.

_0 messages._

That was really odd; Blaine was usually on top of stuff like this. He never wanted to worry Kurt so he was always prompt on the texting when he got home thing. Kurt instructed himself not to freak out or be too overly concerned, so he texted Blaine another message:

_Glad to know you got home safe. Thanks for making me worry sick, you naughty boy! ;P ~Kurt Bornthisway~_

After grabbing a quick shower, Kurt proceeded to get himself ready for the day deciding on a simple red cardigan paired with dark wash skinny jeans. As soon as he finished his morning moisturization, he could feel breakfast calling his name from downstairs. Surely enough, Finn was already at the table shoveling food down like a starved convict when Kurt arrived into the kitchen. Carole currently stationed at the stove was cooking pancakes and scrambled eggs judging by the delicious aroma permeating the kitchen.

"Good morning, Kurt sweetie. Sleep well?" She asked in her typical sing-song tone.

"Morning, Carole, morning, Finn," Kurt greeted, sitting down at the table where breakfast was waiting for him. Carole was the best. Ever since she and his father married, she took over the cooking making Burt and Kurt's life a hell of a lot easier. Kurt was used to doing the cooking because Burt's cooking usually ended up as a disaster; therefore the days of endless take-out had been put to an end.

"Ohmygosh! These are delicious Carole, thank you," Kurt complimented gratefully after taking his first bite of the warm fluffy pancakes.

"You're more than welcome, hon. Oh and Kurt? Before your father comes down, does Blaine want to come down for some breakfast?" Carole asked giving him a suspicious "knowing" look.

Kurt was instantly confused.

"What do you mean _come down_?"

"Blaine did stay over didn't he?"

Kurt could feel his stomach turn in a slight bit of anxiety. What on earth was Carole talking about?

"Um, No, he left last night around 10," Kurt admitted truthfully. _And he didn't text me when he got home…_

"Then why is his car still parked out by the street? I'm nearly positive that that was his car I saw parked outside this morning. I could be mistaken-" Carole tried to reason as she had spotted the look of alarm on Kurt's face.

Kurt didn't waste another minute. Carole had to be wrong. He sprang up from the table making a beeline for the front door and wrenched it open. His heart was pounding as he raced down to the end of the driveway. He came to a sudden halt in his tracks when he spotted Blaine's car still parked where it had been the night prior.

Something was definitely wrong.


	2. Guilt and Basements

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry to leave you guys hanging for so long! I was massively inspired when I started writing, then life got in the way. . Hate when that happens. It wasn't intentional, I promise! Lots of work got in the way of the creative flow! =( Anywho, here is hopefully another amazing chapter for you guys!**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**StarkidNerdfighterPotter - I'm glad you're loving it! Here is a much needed update for you.**

**Totallystarstruck– Thanks very much. I was iffy on the first chapter and hopefully this one will add to it. ;D**

**Guardian Fox– Thank you. Also, an excellent point you brought up. I honestly started writing this here story at like 3 in the morning…shows how I miss something as silly as that. One moment I said it was drizzling, the next…it's pouring…lol. Yay sleep deprived writer me. ;D Lol.**

**jackieblackcat13 – Thank you very much! Hopefully you're still around after my fail at updating. =(**

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**Reviews make me happy. Keep them coming, guys!**

Chapter 2. "Guilt and Basements"

Kurt sat on the couch biting his nails until he reached skin. He didn't bite his nails even at the worst of times; think of the germs and how awful it was for the nails. At this point he could hardly care as the police were taking statements from Carole, Finn and Burt. Blaine had been missing for approximately 13 hours at this point. Kurt could hardly keep it together; if it wasn't for his dad, he'd be quadruply as manic as he was now. He clutched his phone in a vice like grip in one hand hoping that this was all some big joke and Blaine's phone had died. Blaine had to text any minute now. None of this could possibly be real. Stuff like this doesn't happen in Lima. Sure, Lima was an awful place full of some of the worst people Kurt had ever encountered but all of this just couldn't be possible.

"Kurt Hummel?"

Kurt looked up from his mangled nails at the stone face of the officer who looked like he required a stereotypical cup of coffee. Underneath his eyes were deep bruise like circles, his skin was also accompanied with a deep set of wrinkles likely due to age and job related stress. It was clear he also didn't moisturize at all in his youth.

"We'll try to be quick. I'm Officer Burke and this is my partner, Officer Lindlowe," The officer began, signaling his partner, a young female no older than 30 to join him on the chairs set up in front of Kurt. She was a complete contrast to the man she sat next to. Overall she looked a lot more put together: her blond hair was pulled up into a neat bun, not a strand out of place. Her uniform looked ironed to the point that not even a stray wrinkle could be found and her large rounded blue eyes held twice the life of her partners.

"You said that Blaine Anderson left your home at around 10 o'clock in the evening do I have that correct?"

"Yes," Kurt responded softly. "That's correct."

"What is your relationship with Blaine?"

"He's m-my boyfriend…"

"So, the two of you are close?" Officer Burke inquired, looking a tad uncomfortable with Kurt's response.

"Yes," Kurt replied crisply, sensing Burke's discomfort with the "gay situation."

"Did you see Blaine out to his car last night?"

At that question Kurt felt an instantaneous stab of guilt that felt as if a sledgehammer had been slammed into the pit of his stomach. Why _hadn't_ he seen Blaine out? Because he had assumed Blaine could take care of himself? Because he thought nothing could ever happen to him? Kurt had never felt worse in his life. He should have been out there to make sure he got to his car all right. What if he had? He could have stopped whoever had taken Blaine or at least gotten to the police sooner.

"N-no," Kurt admitted as he started to feel tears springing out of his eyes. Not even taking a beat, Burt rushed over to put a comforting arm around his son.

"Did you hear any disturbance outside after he vacated your home?"

"No. I went upstairs and-" Kurt couldn't finish; the tears were starting to impact his speech and the guilt was beginning to eat away at him. It was one of those moments where you wished you could turn back time and do it over. Kurt never would have left Blaine alone. He would have walked him out to his car at least. Generally that's what he always did, but for some reason last night, he hadn't. He'd lived in his neighborhood since he was a baby and had grown complacent since nothing bad ever happened in this boring little section of Lima. This was a lesson he wished he never had to learn the hard way. Bad things can happen at any time apparently, no matter how familiar the surroundings.

"All right, thank you for your time, Mr. Hummel," The officer acknowledged as he stood up, gesturing at his partner to do the same. They made their way towards the door when Burt spoke up to stop them.

"So what do you make of it, officers?"

Officers Burke and Lindlowe shared a look as if he was silently giving her the go ahead to take the lead; that's when she spoke up. "Well, we think it's too soon to deem this a missing person's case. We don't quite know what to make of it yet and other than an upturned trashcan outside, we have no other concrete evidence for a sign of struggle. We've spoken with his parents before we spoke with you and they show just the same amount of concern. They were under the impression that he might have stayed here due to the storm we had yesterday. That evidently is not the case, so we consider Mr. Andersons whereabouts a top priority. If he should happen to turn up, call us. If not, we'll be in touch."

With that, the pair left leaving an empty silence in the Hudson-Hummel household. Burt's arm remained tightly wrapped around Kurt and soon thereafter pulled his distraught son into a full hug.

"Don't worry, Kurt; I'm sure he'll turn up. Maybe one of his Warbler buddies picked him up? We don't know yet and it's still too soon to tell. Try not to worry about it unless there's cause for it, OK?"

Kurt stood up quickly, surprising Burt a little but the look of concern wasn't at all deterred.

"He's missing, Dad. Blaine would never waltz off into the night without so much as a text. Things just don't add up. He wouldn't just _disappear_. Someone has him, I know it and what if whoever it is wants to hurt him? I just I-" He couldn't finish his sentence. The thought was too much for him to even contemplate. The reasons all made sense. It was no mystery that Blaine's parents were loaded with money; it wouldn't be farfetched for someone to take him on that basis alone. His father was also an extremely well-known and frequently sought after lawyer which could and would create a myriad of enemies. Kurt swallowed deeply trying to soothe his dry and scratchy throat. He had to calm himself down; he was starting to work himself into a frenzy.

"I truly hope that isn't the case, buddy. All we can do now is wait and hope that Blaine's OK," Burt responded trying to comfort Kurt in any way that he could, but even this was beyond him. He couldn't shield his son from the reality that might inevitably be upon them.

"How am I supposed to just sit around and _wait _for news? How am I supposed to wait to hear that my boyfriend's being hurt? What if they kill him? I-" Kurt's eyes widened at his last question. Even he was surprised by the words as they left his mouth. How could he even think that? More importantly why hadn't he considered it sooner? It was a distinct possibility. It was if all the air from the room had been sucked out and he could no longer catch his breath. He couldn't be down here anymore; he had to be alone. He turned on his heel without another word, rushed up the stairs and slammed his door behind him.

Burt remained with Carole downstairs. He knew Kurt needed time by himself to calm down. Deep down, he knew that something didn't add up to Blaine's disappearance. The kid would never leave his car and not let Kurt know about it. It just wasn't like him. Burt knew he had to keep a brave face to prevent Kurt from panicking. His son was vulnerable right now and he had to be the brave one here; it was all part of the Dad M.O.

"Do you think Blaine's OK, Burt?" Carole asked, snuggling up under his arm.

"I sure as hell hope so. Things just seem funny. Blaine's not the type to pull a disappearing act. He's a teenager, I know but not _that_ kind of teenager. He's just not that irresponsible. I see the way that kid looks at Kurt; he'd never do something like this knowing the effect it would have on him. Whatever this is, it can't be too good, Carole. Despite everything I just said, I could only hope that this is all some sort of misunderstanding but something in my gut is just screaming that it isn't. I-" Burt didn't get a chance to finish his sentence due to the urgent knock sounding from the front door.

"Now who the hell could that be?" Burt wondered impatiently as he pulled himself up from the couch to answer the door. He was surprised to find the blond officer on the other side of the oak door.

"Officer Lindlowe?"

"I apologize for bothering you, but we've just had a breakthrough. I've just been on the phone with The Anderson's."

Carole who had joined Burt at the doorway breathed a sigh of relief, taking her husband's hand in hers. "Does that mean they found him?"

Officer Lindlowe's expression was at a cross between strictly professional and apologetic as she replied, "I'm sorry, no. The Anderson's have instructed both Officer Burke and I to give your family a full disclosure policy. Usually it is kept within direct family but the Andersons insisted."

Burt and Carole were both touched by both Mr. and Mrs. Andersons generosity with this information during such a difficult time, but the real reason Officer Lindlowe was in their doorway still needed to be addressed. Burt looked over the officer's shoulder to see a crowd of different people surveying the front of their house. Something had dramatically changed in the past ten to fifteen minutes...but what?

"What is it? What have they found?" Burt asked, worried about the response they were going to be given and the effect if was going to have on Kurt when they inevitably had to fill him in.

"We didn't see it on our first sweep of the situation but upon checking out the scene one more time...we found blood. It blended in with the asphalt of the street. We have forensics standing by as we look for more evidence. We'll know later on when the test results return whether the blood matches Blaine's DNA. The only thing we know for sure is that there is now suspicion of foul play and we now have reason to suspect Blaine Anderson may not be safe. We'll keep you posted."

* * *

><p>The pain was inexplicable. Every headache he'd had in his entire life could never measure up to the excruciating pain he felt now. But why? What happened last night? He didn't remember hitting his head…did he get into a car accident? No, that couldn't be; he didn't remember driving. What the hell had happened? He had to think back to the most recent events to try and put two and two together.<p>

_"Are we still on for tomorrow?"_

_Kurt walked with Blaine to the door after he had declined a change of clothes declaring that nothing Kurt owned would even come close to fitting him._

_"I'm sorry, can't. Turns out I'm double booked with another Warbler tomorrow? Do you mind?" Kurt teased._

_Blaine pulled Kurt into a possessive goodbye kiss that almost caused Kurt to lose all feeling in his legs. Once the kiss ended and Kurt felt like Gumby he smiled at his boyfriend and said, "I guess I could always cancel with the other guy."_

_Blaine shook his head and laughed. "You better."_

_After finally being freed from the adorable greedy hands of his boyfriend, Blaine was able to begin his treck from the Hummel's doorway to his car. Kurt had shut the door and Blaine found himself wishing he could have stayed longer. They were still in the honeymoon stage when they wanted to spend as much time as humanly possible together. That's what they say about young love, right? Blaine was sure this was something a little more and he was in it for the long haul to find out. Still feeling the warmth of Kurt's lips on his, he smiled and reached for the handle of the car._

Blaine felt a chill run up his spine. Someone had attacked him from behind and knocked him out cold. He felt a shudder as he considered the list of things that could have occurred after he passed out. First things first, he had to figure out where he was. Could he still be in the Hummel's driveway? There was no way he could be anywhere else. The chair that he was sitting in had to indicate otherwise. He slowly cracked his eyes open which made virtually no difference as he was met with pitch black darkness. Where the hell was he? He tried to stand up but to no avail as his wrists and ankles were bound to the chair.

It was obvious that someone had taken him. What could these attackers possibly want from him? He felt his stomach twist in a painful wave of nausea as realization swept over him. It had to be someone related to his father. As a lawyer of twenty years, Mr. Anderson had made his enemies; it was only a matter of time before one wronged party took it upon themselves for revenge. That had to be the answer, there was no other alternative. Blaine had no enemies that he was aware of, so the only possibility in Blaine's mind was that this had to either be a ploy for revenge or ransom. Neither option was promising and was equally as frightening as the other.

He bit his lip to try to stop himself from panicking. Freaking out would solve nothing and hyperventilating would only exacerbate his headache. He took deep soothing breaths and silently repeated the same word to himself over and over in an attempt to calm himself down. _Courage. _Kurt would want him to have courage. Wait, Kurt? Would Kurt know that he was missing? Would he know who took him? Would he know that he had never made it home? How long had he even been down here? A day? A week? Would—

Blaine's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a door above him creak open. The light that streaked through revealed that he was facing a set of stairs with a door located at the very top. He blinked trying to get his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in lighting and with what little light had been added, he deduced that he had to be in some sort of basement. All the light did was illuminate the stairs mostly but he looked around trying to take in anything additional from his surroundings but with no luck.

He felt himself begin to shake as footsteps began to descend from the stairway. This was it; this was the moment that he was going to find out who took him and the only thing he could do was try to figure out what they could possibly want from him and attempt to cooperate with their demands to the best of his ability. He soon discovered that whoever opened the door...he or she was not alone. He heard another set of footsteps join the first as they closed the distance between him and the door. He felt his heart pounding with every step they took. It was going to take everything that he had not to be sick and rid himself of that lovely picnic he had shared with Kurt.

_Kurt...be strong for Kurt_.

"Looks like pretty boy's awake. Now the real fun can begin, huh?"

The light clicked on.

* * *

><p><strong>Bahahaha, I am the most evil! Another nice cliffhanger to leave you wanting more, eh? Also, sorry for the shortness of it, I have to go to work. =P I will not let life get in the way of another update like that again, sorry to leave you guys for so long! Reviews are greatly appreciated, they're like milk and cookies to my stories. ;D<strong>

**-Casey**


	3. Don't Give Up On Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**I enjoyed reading all of those wonderful reviews! Thanks guys, it really does help and also means a lot to me that you all are enjoying this story. Also note that the things coming up may seem a tad bit unrealistic to the Glee plotline, but alas, that is why it's fiction after all, right? ;P Prepare for a REALLY long chapter as a huge thank you…and a certain stroke of the writing bug. ;D**

**Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**FValconbridge – Thank you very much. =D No need for begging, here I bring you chapter 3. Thanks for the amazing review, you are the golden one. ^.^**

**xLizziexLupinx – Poor Blaine, indeed. =( I hate to do this to precious Blaine, but it had to be done. Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like it thus far!**

**Totallystarstruck – You are a sweetheart, thank you very much and I'm glad I've captured your interest. =)**

**dsfgagfd – Lol, here it is, hate to have kept ya waiting. ;D**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – Much angst awaits, you are correct. I'm happy that you're liking the story. It does indeed warm my little heart. =D**

**katiek723 – I'm so glad you like it! I'm excited to bring you another chapter!**

**rnoele – Thy wish is granted! Chapter 3 awaits!**

**GreggoAddict – I'm stoked to have your interest! I know I'm a big meanie. ;P On I'm really known for my evil cliffies! But hey, they work, right? Teehee!**

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**As always, reviews are a breath of fresh air to me and they inspire me to keep going. All of your kind words motivate the story into being, so definitely keep those reviews coming, guys! They help immensely, plus I love to hear your feedback and thoughts! Reviews = gold!**

Chapter 3."Don't Give Up On Me"

"Today we'll be working on duets," Mr. Schue explained as he was met with a myriad of groans from the Glee Club. Summer had ended and with the disappointment from Nationals in New York the few months prior, Mr. Schue decided on an early start on preparing the club for competition. Despite the negative response from his students, he wrote the word DUET in enormous font on the board. He remained steadfast with his decision. The students always complained that Rachel and Finn got all of the ballads for competitions but that was because the couple worked tirelessly on their duets. If any of the others wanted to step into the spotlight, Mr. Schue decided that he needed to see more effort out of them.

"Come on, Mr. Schue. We've done so many duets, I'm surprised we don't have our own movie musical deal," Mercedes complained with a murmur of agreement from all, excluding Rachel and Finn who looked at each other longingly and shared a determined look as if they had telepathically decided on their choice for the assignment.

"Guys," Mr. Schue began sternly, commanding attention from the room. "I don't want to hear it. If you don't do this assignment, you can once again watch Finn and Rachel take the ballad at Sectionals."

This statement started an uproar of protest from the room at Mr. Schue's statement which he immediately put an end to.

"Say what you want about Rachel and Finn always getting the spotlight, guys. I don't see any of you put as much effort in as they do and until I see that you want it more, I remain unconvinced that you deserve it or are _entitled_ to it, are we clear?"

The club resigned to the fact and began discussing who they planned to partner up with, that is all except for Kurt who sat quietly in the back row away from everyone, eyes fixated on the wall as if there was nothing going on in the room what-so-ever. His eyes held a terrible longing, his hair remained flat, he hadn't bothered accessorizing in any way since school began but most of all, he looked completely defeated. It had been a whole two days without a word in Glee club from Kurt. 

Mr. Schue had noticed Kurt's withdrawn demeanor immediately and hadn't been immediately concerned. It was sometimes hard to tell if Kurt was just pouting or if he had experienced another traumatic experience. Mr. Schue cared for Kurt and knew that he had been through a lot with the bullying, his father's heart attack and the transfer from McKinley to Dalton and back. He decided that Kurt's feelings were more important than his prejudgement and decided to investigate the matter further. He was usually in the know about all the Glee club gossip, so whatever was bothering Kurt, it had to be bigger than some petty drama.

As the students filed out for the day, Kurt lagging behind them, Mr. Schue called Kurt to stay behind.

"Kurt, come sit with me," Mr. Schue instructed and as Kurt did as he was told, Mr. Schue rolled his chair over so that he was right across from Kurt and could look him in the eye as he talked. "I've noticed that you haven't been yourself the past 2 days, Kurt and frankly I'm concerned."

Kurt just stared at him.

"I've seen you upset a great number of times but something tells me this is different. Tell me what's going on," Mr. Schue tried to reason but Kurt just continued to stare on with his sullen eyes. He didn't get the vibe that Kurt _wouldn't_ talk to him, it was that he _couldn't_. Whatever was wrong with him, it was tearing him apart; he could see that much. He slowly began to realize there was something very, _very_ wrong.

"Please, Kurt. Holding that pain inside is going to kill you. You don't deserve that. You have plenty of people here who want to be there for you, me especially. You are very special, Kurt. Please," Mr. Schue grabbed one of Kurt's hands that had been folded on his lap. "Talk to me."

Kurt pulled his gaze that had fallen to the floor during Mr. Schue's speech and looked his teacher straight in the eye.

"It's Blaine," He whispered.

"Blaine?" Mr. Schue asked in complete confusion. He had been surprised when Blaine hadn't been in class yesterday for the first day of school since there had been rumors floating around during the summer that Blaine would possibly be transferring. He had assumed that he had decided to stay with Dalton; after all, the boy was very talented and that's where he had made a name for himself already.

"Kurt, I think I know what this is about. You're upset about Blaine staying at Dalton which is understandable but you have to understand that Blaine had a life at Dalton and he couldn't just-" Kurt cut him off immediately with a surprisingly quiet response.

"I wish that he _was_ at Dalton, better than wherever he is now," Kurt replied, wiping a stray tear from his cheek.

Mr. Schue furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean wherever he is now?"

"It's been all over the news...how haven't you seen it?" Kurt responded a bit harsher than he meant to.

Will was a little taken aback by Kurt's tone but decided to ignore it. Kurt needed help right now and lecturing him on his tone wouldn't be in any way helpful.

"I'm sorry, I haven't been keeping an eye on the news," He admitted. "What's going on, Kurt?"

"Blaine's missing. Kidnapped," Kurt explained. "Someone took him from my front yard a week ago and we haven't heard anything since. Not a ransom note, nothing."

Mr. Schue was in shock. He _had _heard about this. Earlier in the teacher's lounge he had heard a few members of the faculty discussing the disappearance of a teen from Westerville.

_"It's just terrible, the boy was leaving a friend's house when someone took him; just snatched him right up. I can't even imagine what his poor parents must be going through_. _I keep saying that parents should be stricter on curfews; there's danger everywhere we turn these days. I for one won't let my Natalie out past dark. A 16 year old has no business out and about once the sun goes down. She may hate me for it now but when she has a family of her own, she'll thank me for keeping her alive. I plan to bring it up at this weeks PTA meeting. I feel so terrible for the boy but maybe we can use his disappearance as an example and at least there can be one good thing to come from all of this."_

"Kurt, I-" Mr. Schue began to say but didn't manage to get further before Kurt interjected, cutting him off.

"I think I've heard all the 'I'm sorry, we're here for you, if there's anything you need's' for one day, thank you."

With that said, Kurt scooped his backpack off the chair and without another word, ran as far as he could from the choir room.

* * *

><p>Kurt couldn't feel anything. It had been a week and a half since Blaine had gone missing and the police were making no progress on finding him. He felt as if a piece of his soul was missing. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on to the hope that Blaine was just going to appear out of thin air to hold him, kiss him and tell him it was all just some horrible nightmare.<p>

He walked down the hall silently still feeling a little guilty from running out on Mr. Schue the day before but he couldn't talk about Blaine anymore to anybody. Everyone in Glee had already talked to him excessively about it asking him question after question. He already felt like it was his fault. If the pain of Blaine's disappearance wasn't enough, he had a bountiful plate of guilt to go along with it.

"So, Lady-boy, feeling any less gay now that your pretty-boy is dead in an alley somewhere?"

Kurt stopped dead. He knew the voice. It came as a total surprise; this cold-hearted voice hadn't spoken to him like that since before Kurt had gone to Dalton.

"Dave?" Asked Kurt, surprised at Dave Karofsky's horrible words.

"Heard your fag boyfriend was taken and no one knows where he is, which is all for the better. One less fairy in the world trying to corrupt innocent people."

Kurt was shocked. He thought Dave had moved past this after his anti-bullying movement and coming to terms with the fact that Dave was in fact gay himself. This was all coming straight out of left field. Santana and Dave had started The Bully Whips together and Kurt was certain that Dave had began to look inside himself after the debacle at prom. He never could have expected this.

"How can you say things like that Dave? Where is this coming from?" Kurt asked in a shocked whisper.

Dave moved closer to Kurt so that they were almost nose to nose and spoke quietly so that there wasn't a chance that they could be overheard.

"It's a show, Hummel. Can't let everyone think I've gone soft and that I'm—anyway, that Dalton kid is gone. He's probably dead in a ditch somewhere and it's time that you just moved on. He's gone."

"And how the hell would you know that, Dave?"

"Because no one would be dumb enough to let him live once they see how _unnatural_ he is. The truth hurts, Hummel. Best save yourself the time you'll waste worrying over someone who's never coming back."

Kurt opened his mouth for a retort to put Dave in his place but closed it before he could make a sound. Dave couldn't be right, could he? Rather than stay and attempt to fight back with his words, Kurt turned on his heal and briskly darted away from the cruel jock feeling even more broken and terrified that it was highly possible that Blaine _could_ potentially be dead by now. He had to find Mercedes, she'd know what to say.

* * *

><p>Dave felt very accomplished by his interaction with Kurt that afternoon; he practically skipped as he made his way up the stairs to his room. He was thankful that football practice had been canceled for the afternoon and that he could play with his new "pet". His father left that morning on business, so Dave had the house to himself for a week, which meant he no longer had to keep him in his bedroom closet and could move him back down to the basement.<p>

Dave made his way to the closet and threw open the door to his spacious walk-in.

"Long day, but now I'm glad I'm home to tell you all about it," Dave sneered as he removed the tape from his victim's mouth.

"Go to hell," Blaine responded in a weak voice as he let out a cough. The lack of water kept his throat hoarse and extremely dry.

"Now, now, now Blaine, that's no way to speak to me," Dave responded, backhanding Blaine. Causing a hiss of pain, but nothing more. Blaine wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Why do you _insist_ on making me resort to beating you? You've been beaten enough as it is this week and I don't think we need any more of that, do we? You're still healing. How _are_ those welts healing on your back, hmm?"

It had been a week and a half since Blaine had been kidnapped by Dave and Azimio. He never knew that this bully was capable of something like this. In the beginning he only knew him as the guy who had been the reason for Kurt coming to Dalton in the first place but now he knew that Dave was sick, not just mentally, but every fiber of his being was absolutely sick.

That first night when Blaine had awoken in the basement, he had never expected what had followed…

_"Looks like pretty boy's awake. Now the real fun can begin, huh?"_

_Blaine knew that voice. It was the same voice he heard when he tried to help Kurt out on the stairwell at McKinley. The voice that belonged to the guy that Blaine had tried to offer comforting words to and tell him he wasn't alone in his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality. The guy whom he had shoved at the Glee club benefit when he wouldn't back off of Kurt. That same scared prom king who couldn't muster up the courage to "come out" and dance with the prom queen, "Kurt" at prom. Blaine looked up and sure enough, he was right._

_"Karofsky?"_

_"The fag knows your name, dude?" Came the other voice from behind Dave._

_"It would appear so."_

_"So this is one of them Dalton Academy fairies, is that right? Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute! I know you," The boy declared making his way from behind Karofsky to examine Blaine closer and make his presence known. He too was clad in a McKinley Letterman's jacket. "I'll be damned! If it ain't Anderson! Long time no see, Tinker Bell!"_

_Blaine cringed at the nickname from his old school. _Azimio_. It just _had_ to be Azimio. Blaine couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear at his personal bully from his old school and ring leader of the thugs who had beaten the living hell out of him at Sadie Hawkins before he transferred. He had dreamt of the day that he could face his attacker once again but he had hoped for a little more even circumstances. Being tied down was far from ideal._

_"Wait, you know him? How do you know him?" Karofsky inquired in confusion._

_"Ah, Anderson and I go way back to Westerville High before I got expelled and transferred to McKinley. This little pixie and I had some great times, didn't we?"_

_"The best," Blaine replied sarcastically._

_"I admire your choice of captures, Dave. This one is a little fighter. I like it when they fight and none of them come remotely close to Anderson. Oh how I've missed you, Tinker Bell," Azimio stated pinching one of Blaine's cheeks, which in turn caused Blaine to struggle a bit to try to get away._

_"See what I mean? Feisty," Azimio chuckled darkly. "I see that my lessons from Westerville had no long term impact on you. So I think it's time we did what we set out to do and beat the living gay out of you. I think it's high time you had a reminder."_

_"I agree," Dave responded matching Azimio's enthusiasm._

_"So this is what all of this about? To beat the gay out of me? Coming from you, Karofsky, I find that rich," Blaine responded and was promptly met with a hand to his throat._

_"Don't you threaten me, fairy-boy, I'm the one with the power here!"_

_"Come on, Dave, let's do this! I'm itching to teach Tinker Bell here another lesson he won't ever forget," Azimio urged._

_"Let's have some fun," Dave stated in agreement and those four words began the attack._

_It all began with a few punches to his face; extremely painful, yes, but it was nothing he hadn't felt before. Azimio had personally sought out to make sure Blaine had been beaten in some way nearly every week. Normally it was just the usual locker slams and threats but Sadie Hawkins had taken it to an entirely different level. The pain he was in now still held no measure to that awful experience but at the very least it was familiar. There was a pause in which Blaine seized the opportunity to spit the blood from his mouth. Whilst he took a second to recuperate, Azimio and Dave discussed their next course of action. A belt._

_A belt...that was new. He had never been hit with a belt before. He had to admit that that instilled a bit of fear in him. That was a pain he had never felt before and he had no idea what to expect. He swallowed painfully and tried to keep himself calm. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as much as he was imagining it would. All he could do was hope he was right. He watched as Azimio undid his belt and closed the distance between them the offending implement in hand._

_"Have you ever felt the sting of the belt, Tinker Bell?"_

_Blaine didn't respond, he just glared darkly at his attacker trying to appear as tough as he could despite the circumstances._

_Azimio clearly didn't like not being responded to. He grabbed a fistful of Blaine's hair and yanked back making sure that Blaine could look no where else but at him._

_"You answer me when I'm talking to you, Anderson! You know the drill!"_

_"No. I haven't," Blaine responded through gritted teeth._

_Azimo nodded at Dave in response giving him the go ahead to untie Blaine. As he did so, Blaine decided that this would probably be his only possible chance to escape, so he tried to fight Dave off of him but it was a wasted effort, Dave was too strong. He had Blaine's arms in his hands instantly and wasted no time as he threw him down to all fours. He kept his hands wrapped around Blaine's arms as he held the smaller boy in position for Azimio._

_That's when the first stinging lash of the belt hit his back. Blaine bit back a scream. He had never experienced pain like that. It was as if a hot branding iron had made contact with his back. It wasn't the usual throbbing pain he was accustomed to; this had a blinding sharp sting to it. The next lash came down right where the first had landed and Blaine had to bite his lip to hold back any shout of pain. He wouldn't scream. He couldn't let them hear him scream._

_Over and over the belt fell onto his back. He could feel the blood beginning to soak into his shirt as he clenched his teeth so hard that he was surprised that he hadn't broken any yet. It took everything he had not to yell out. All of the Sadie Hawkins memories came crashing down on him as he was once again being beaten by the very same guy who had done it before. It was like it was Azimio's mission to find him in every stage of his life and remind him that he'll never be free of him. Blaine continued to struggle to get away from the pain; even if the reprieve was only for a moment but Karofsky's grip couldn't be broken._

_"See what I mean, dude? A fighter. Eventually we'll wear him down enough to get a scream out of him; that's my favorite part. You've got the most_ beautiful_ voice when you scream, Tinker Bell."_

_"Stop," Blaine whispered through clenched teeth._

_"Come again?" Azimio asked politely._

_"Stop. Calling. Me. That."_

_Azimio chuckled darkly and brought the belt down another time, the hardest lash of all. "Sorry Anderson, no can do. You'll always be my little Tinker Bell and hopefully this is a reminder as to why. No one can make you scream like I can."_

_Blaine closed his eyes as another belt lash came down. He couldn't stay silent anymore. No matter how strong he wanted to be, another lash from the belt was going to break him. He waited for the whistling sound and the impact of leather hitting skin followed by the blinding hot pain but it never came. What saved Blaine was the sound of a text message going off._

_"Ah shit, it's mom. I gotta get home," Azimio announced as he reluctantly put his belt back on. "You can't let Anderson go just yet. There's still some lessons needing to be taught and I'm no where near finished."_

_Dave had no intention of Azimio being any further part in his capture of Blaine but he agreed as the larger boy made his way up the stairs, closing the basement door behind him._

_Blaine lay curled up on the floor bleeding, broken and sputtering for breath._

_"Why, Dave? Him I oddly understand but you? What do you have to gain from this?" Blaine asked between pain stricken breaths._

_Dave roughly rolled Blaine over on his back which elicited a hiss of pain from the smaller boy. He glared down at his victim without a word in response; instead, he surprised him by scooping him off the floor and throwing him over his shoulder. Blaine being so small made it easy for Dave to get him all the way upstairs to his room. Blaine made no struggle as they made their way up the stairs. He was too weak to fight as he watched himself being carried further and further away from his only chance at freedom; the front door. He hadn't even taken the opportunity to look at his surroundings before they had arrived upstairs.  
><em>

_Once Dave had Blaine in his room, he opened the door to his walk-in closet and sat Blaine up against the wall gingerly, then proceeded to tie his wrists together. As he was working to do the same to his ankles, Blaine asked again softly, "What do you have to gain from this, Dave? Why won't you just let me go? No one has to find out about this. I'll make up something, no one has to know what happened."_

_"I can't let you go, I won't." Dave refused. "Not after all I had to go through to get you. You have no idea how long I had to wait to make this happen. Ever since I saw you on those stairs at McKinley, I knew I had to have you."_

_"W-what do you mean?" Blaine stammered. What the hell was Karofsky talking about?_

_"You were like this gorgeous angel who was sent to make me realize that I could be gay and not to fight it anymore. It was you who told me it was a hard thing to come to terms with and that I wasn't alone. You were right; I'm not alone…not anymore. I have you now to show me the way. You're mine, Blaine Anderson. All mine. I only needed Azimio to help make you weak and get some of that fight out of you. I needed you weak so that you would listen to me."_

_Blaine swallowed the bile in his throat and tried to come to terms with what he had just been told. Karofsky had been planning this since the day he had accompanied Kurt to McKinley to confront him. This was more twisted than just a gay bashing, no...this was much more than that._

_"Dave...I'm-well, I'm flattered," Blaine began as gently as he could. "But I'm with Kurt and I need to get back to him. He's probably worried sick seeing as I have no way of telling him where I am. We can talk about what we plan to do about this but first you need to let me go."_

_Dave didn't waste a second before he began shaking his head. "Oh no you don't. I know you have fancy words, Blaine but I won't let you go. You are mine and I don't care how much sense I have to beat into you to make you see that. Mine."_

"Now Blainey-bear, don't you want to hear about my day?" Dave asked after checking that the welts were healing on Blaine's back. They looked just as prominent as they did before he left for school that morning.

"Don't call me that and I really could give a hell less about your day," Blaine responded in irritation. That's all he needed was _another_ awful nickname. "Tinker Bell" and now "Blainey-bear". When was the stupidity ever going to end? He had tried to be nice and reason with Dave on that first night but he wouldn't listen, so Blaine had thrown all the politeness straight out the window.

"You should be more grateful to me that I got Azimio to back off as I had insisted that we had beaten all of the gay out of you. He's not convinced. He assures me that you belong to _him_ and that he should be the only one to torture you but I still got him to back off. All it took was a little lie that my dad might be coming home early before his next business trip and that I had to keep you a secret or let you go. I could always tell him that before you're completely healed, you need another reminder."

"A reminder to shoot myself, maybe."

"I wouldn't mouth off like that if I were you, my dad's gone for a week and it's just you and me. If you don't stop being naughty and mouthing off to me, I'll have to put you over my lap and give you a spanking…and you don't want one of those, do you?"

Blaine looked sickened and annoyed by Dave's threat. "Whatever."

"You don't think I'll do it?"

"You better not even _think_ about touching me like that."

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because the only one allowed to touch me like that is Kurt and you're not even a fraction of who Kurt is."

Dave quirked an eyebrow at him and his lips formed into the shape of a "I know something that you don't know" kind of smirk.

"What if I told you that Kurt doesn't give a shit now that you're gone?"

"I'd think you were a piece of shit liar which isn't really far removed from my current frame of mind," Blaine answered honestly.

"He doesn't care that you're gone; he's already moved on to the next big thing. He assumes that you stayed at Dalton and won't return his calls because you're done with him. So naturally, he moved on."

"You're lying."

"Try me, sweetheart. Now, I've got to go and make us some dinner, don't want my Blaine to get too thin on me, now."

"I'm not yours, I'm _Kurt's_."

"You keep telling yourself that, baby," Dave responded as he slammed the closet door behind him leaving Blaine in the dark alone with his thougts.

Blaine knew Dave was lying. Kurt wouldn't just give up on him like that. Just because no one found him yet didn't mean that Kurt wasn't trying or had moved on…it was just a dumb lie Dave was telling Blaine to make him give himself up completely and forget about Kurt. He couldn't. Kurt was the only thing keeping him sane and giving him hope. All he wanted right now was Kurt. His head was starting to spin and he felt extremely dizzy from all the thoughts spinning around in his head. "Don't give up on me Kurt…" Blaine whispered to himself before he passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, that was a nice long chapter! It was much needed. So, a lot's happened in this chapter…we found out who has Blaine and why. So, I would definitely love those reviews to tell me what you all think. ;D Yes, there's a lot of OOCness, but it's definitely needed to make this fic work. Hopefully you guys liked it. It took quite a while to write it all, so I anxiously await those reviews!<strong>

**Casey**


	4. Resistance is Futile

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author Note: Wow, guys! Great reviews! I am very happy to read that you like what's going. I feared backlash! Lol. I didn't wanna make Karofsky bad…but the idea was just too good! Anyways, I'll stop rambling and get my review notes out of the way and get another new chapter out to ya! I know that's what you guys really want. ;D**

**Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**Totallystarstruck – I'm glad that I caught you off guard with the reasoning. ;D I was hoping that I wasn't being too predictable. -.^**

**klainediva – I'm glad to hear that I've hooked you in! =D It is indeed a bit creepy, isn't it? Lol. You know, I'm not sure how long I want it to be…I hope I can keep it going for a bit, don't really wanna end it too soon. I'm not known for short stories…lol. I love to read one-shots…writing them isn't really my style. I always have more that I wanna say. ;)**

**Lunalongbottom – Addictive you say? That is exciting! I'm glad to bring you another update much quicker than the 2 prior. I've gotten the last 2 days off and am in the writing mood, so I said to myself, why not keep writing while I have the chance to update? Oh, and madam? I will be happy to share Blaine with you…lol. I quite love Blaine and am rather partial to him. -.^**

**xLizziexLupinx – Glad to hear it. You can't help but feel bad for both of them. =( I'm glad you can visualize it! This is a really good thing for me. =D**

**x0xalexis8 – Thank you so much! That really warmed my heart to hear! It also helped motivate me to write another chapter so soon! ^.^**

**gleek101Obsessed – That is something I love to hear. =) Thank you so much!**

**GreggoAddict – I am super stoked that I wasn't predictable. I hope Blaine doesn't start to believe him, either. =( I'm very glad you like it thus far. =D**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – I know! Poor Blaine. =( I hate to do this to him, he is definitely my favorite. I'm glad that you love it and thank you so much!**

**I couldn't have asked for better reviews, guys! They really helped motivate a new chapter out of me in just 1 day! That's definitely rare for me. I loved reading all that you had to say and figured that I owed it to you to get a new chapter up a.s.a.p. I'm so glad that you all have been so positive! Continue to leave your wonderful thoughts. I love, I repeat, love to hear from you! So as always, keep those reviews a-comin! =D**

Chapter 4. "Resistance is Futile"

_'Missing Teen:_

_Blaine Anderson, 17 years old. __D__isappeared August 23rd. Whereabouts are still unknown. Contact David and Emily Anderson at 555-0276, Kurt Hummel at 555-0354 or contact 9-11 if you have any news regarding his disappearance.'_

Kurt stapled what seemed like the 100,000th sign up on every bit of bare space around town that he could find. It pained him to read that Blaine was still missing over and over again and see the picture of Blaine and his beautiful smile…a smile he may never see again. Kurt tried to take that thought out of his head. He _would_ see Blaine again. There was no question on the matter. He had to be safe; Kurt couldn't even contemplate the thought of losing Blaine. He was the most important thing in the world to him. He wiped away a tear as he turned away from the sign he just posted when he spotted Mercedes walking his way.

"Still no news, huh?" She asked, pulling Kurt into a hug.

"Still no ransom demands," Kurt sighed with the shake of his head. "Why would you take a person and then make _no_ demands? Isn't that the whole point? If it isn't then I don't know what the hell it is. Clearly I don't know a damn thing."

"Blaine's parents-they're rich aren't they?"

"They're not living in some Beverly Hills type mansion in North Westerville but I've been to Blaine's house. Yeah, it's fair to say they're pretty loaded. My dad had to use money he and Carole had been saving for their honeymoon for my tuition. I'm pretty sure Blaine's Dalton tuition hardly put a dent in their wallet."

"All the more reason to take the son of wealthy parents," Mercedes responded just as confused. "That just doesn't add up, I mean-"

She was going to continue but one look at Kurt and she cut herself off. Kurt was trying so hard to hold back tears but he was fighting a losing battle. She immediately pulled him into the tightest and warmest hug that she could muster.

Kurt let it all go. He sobbed into Mercedes' shoulder while attempting and failing to form clear, coherent words. "It's almost been 2 weeks, 'Cedes…what if he's-"

"I will not allow you to finish that thought, Kurt," Mercedes replied sternly, pulling Kurt's face in front of hers so that she could look him straight in the eye. "I'm sure Blaine is alive and trying to find his way back to you. He's strong; he won't give up that easily. That or we'll find him first."

Kurt wiped away the tears and gave an apologetic half smile when he noticed her tear stained shirt. "Thanks, 'Cedes…I hope you're right. I can't stand the thought of-he can't be dead, he just can't be. Ever since Karofsky insisted that he was dead a couple of days ago, I just haven't been able to think about anything else."

"I'm positive he's not. Don't let that neanderthal convince you otherwise," She assured, putting her arm around him and guiding him further away from the missing person sign. "You look like you could use a non-fat mocha; I'm taking you to the Lima Bean, my treat."

"Mercedes, I can't, I still have all these signs-"

"You and Blaine are two of their most valued customers; I'm sure you can go and get coffee with me and leave some signs with them and boy, you know me well enough that I do not take, 'I can't' for an answer."

"You win, 'Cedes," Kurt gave in with a watery smile.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Blaine. Open up for me, baby," Dave cooed while trying to get a spoonful of soup into Blaine's mouth.<p>

Blaine pulled his face away from the spoon. Even though he felt weak from his alarming lack of food intake, he wouldn't allow Karofsky to feed him like he was a child. He didn't know how long it'd been since he actually ate; a couple of days at best. At first Dave left food for him and untied him so that he could eat it, but after Blaine tried to escape the night before from the closet after Dave untied him, he was now being fed like a baby.

"I won't let you feed me like I'm 5, Karofsky," Blaine argued as he turned his head away from yet another bite that Dave was trying to force feed down his throat.

"You've given me no choice. If you hadn't tried to escape like a bad boy, you could be untied right now feeding yourself," Dave responded, clearly elated that things ended up the way they were.

"You're lucky that my hands are tied behind my back," Blaine threatened through gritted teeth.

"I don't like that tone, Blainey-Bear."

Blaine felt his anger boil. First with the food and now with the nickname.

"STOP calling me that!" Blaine yelled, leaning forward and knocking the bowl of soup out of Dave's hands with his shoulder. The hot liquid poured down the front of Dave's shirt effectively scalding him.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelped, springing up and tearing his shirt off. The skin on his chest and stomach was a brilliant shade of red as a result from the soup.

Blaine grinned at his handiwork while Dave cleaned himself off with a wet towel.

"You're going to regret that move, Anderson. I'm going to make you so _very_ sorry," Dave threatened, throwing a new shirt on and coming back over to the closet to lie a towel down to soak up the spilled liquid.

"Don't hold your breath."

"I'm thinking you need to be taught a lesson, don't you, Blaine?"

"Not remotely."

Dave responded by placing a sharp slap across Blaine's face and responded with a hiss of, "Oh, I disagree."

He then placed his hands under Blaine's arms and dragged him from the closet and into the room. He sat down on the bed dragging and placing Blaine in a kneeling position in front of himself at the foot of the bed.

"You're about to learn what naughty boys get when they cross me," He growled and took a fist full of Blaine's hair to yank his head back, to which Blaine bit back a gasp; he didn't want to give Dave the satisfaction. "You are in _so_ much trouble, my beautiful Blaine and to quote a lovely cliche, this hurts me so much more than it hurts you. Oh and by the way, I love it when your hair doesn't have that gel in it, that way I can grab onto these sexy curls," Dave said pulling on his hair with added emphasis.

"Just get it over with," Blaine challenged through clenched teeth.

Dave let go of Blaine's hair, growled and drew his hand back into a fist; Blaine flinched and waited for the impact that never came. He opened his eyes slowly and looked back at Dave curiously who let his fist fall. Blaine must have had a confused look on his face, because Dave slowly was letting a grin creep onto his face.

"I can't add any more cuts and bruises to that beautiful face. Azimio should have stayed away from your face; a slap here and there is fine but these cuts," Dave let a finger trace over some of the cuts left on Blaine's face and he shuddered from the unwanted contact. "I have to teach you your lesson in a different way; a way that I know will stop you from your back-talk."

Before Blaine could comprehend what was happening, Dave picked him up from the floor and laid him straight over his lap.

"No! Stop! Put me down!" Blaine yelled, trying to roll off of Dave's lap but he wrapped an arm around Blaine's hip, securing him in the position. He wasn't going anywhere.

"I warned you what would happen if you were a bad boy, Blaine. You should have listened; not that I'm not somewhat happy that you didn't but still, I just _hate_ to punish you," Dave said in what he probably thought was a reasonable tone but Blaine was just disgusted.

He braced himself but wasn't ready when the first swat struck his backside. He let out a small hiss of pain but didn't get the chance to get used to the feeling before another swat was added; one swat right after the other. Whilst Dave kept spanking, he decided to start talking.

"I warned you that if you were bad you'd get a spanking. You didn't listen to me, Blaine," He added a few tsks while Blaine bit his lip trying to hold back all of his hisses of pain. "This is a warning of what will happen when you cross me but I'm almost thinking that I need to add an additional warning."

Blaine was curious of what Dave meant by that. Nothing could possibly be a worse warning than this humiliating punishment. The slaps were starting to get harder and fall faster and he could feel hot tears starting to form in his eyes from biting his lip so hard. He could taste the blood from re-opening the cut on his lip with his teeth.

"I'm all you have now, Blaine. Kurt doesn't want you anymore, he's moved on. You're mine now and you _will_ do as I say!"

After a few more minutes of spanking, Dave let go and let Blaine fall to the floor, for which Blaine was thankful. He didn't know how much more of that humiliation he could take, let alone the pain. His backside felt like it was on fire. He was also grateful that Dave had left his jeans on; he couldn't have imagined the humiliation of Dave trying to take down his jeans and how much worse that would have hurt. Nothing hurt more than Dave's reminder that Kurt supposedly didn't care where he was. In his mind, he knew it could never be true but the more Dave insisted and the more time that passed, the less sure Blaine felt.

Dave got down on to the floor kneeling in front of Blaine, grasped his chin tightly and pulled Blaine's face up so they had eye contact.

"I hope that taught you a lesson, baby. I don't want to hear you mouthing off to me anymore, are we clear?"

Blaine didn't say anything; he just glared at Dave and jerked his face away from the hand holding it in place.

"You didn't quite grasp the lesson, did you? Maybe if I take those jeans down and put you back over my lap, the lesson will-"

"No! Don't! I'm…sorry," Blaine spit out reluctantly. He didn't feel he owed any sort of apology but he wouldn't allow Dave to humiliate him any further.

"Very good, sweetheart; you're coming around," Dave said with a devilish grin. "Although, I'm sure that won't last, so we need that added warning that I mentioned while I spanked that adorable bottom of yours."

Blaine felt his stomach churn in disgust; he had never felt so humiliated in his life, even that time with the Gap Attack and embarrassing himself in front of Jeremiah. Nothing could compete with this.

"So, I was thinking, if you decide to keep being resistant and back talk me, I might just let my boys have free reign on Kurt."

Blaine felt his stomach drop when he heard Kurt's name. He looked back up to Dave with horror stricken eyes. "W-what?"

"You heard me right. If you refuse me or keep acting up, I will make sure Hummel is on the _top_ of the football team's list. That means more slushee facials, locker slams, verbal harassment, and he might just meet with an accident when he's alone; without you, his knight and shining armor, we'll be able to put him back into his rightful-"

"No, don't! Please!" Blaine exclaimed in panic. "You can do whatever you want to me but leave Kurt out of it! It's me you want, isn't it? J-just leave Kurt alone, please, please!"

"God, you look so _hot_ when you beg."

"Please, listen to me! Kurt has nothing to do with this! Don't hurt him! I'll be good, I swear!" Blaine pleaded through his tears of distress.

"I believe you, baby. Things better start changing or else Kurt's going to have one hell of a time," Dave warned with a satisfied smirk.

Blaine couldn't help the tears of helplessness that cascaded from his eyes. He missed Kurt and was worrying like crazy over his safety. He didn't want him to get hurt because he couldn't be brave and do what Karofsky said. Even if what Dave said turned out to be true, he still couldn't stand to see Kurt beaten or worse over him.

"Now, I think it's time we had our first kiss, hmm?" Dave didn't even wait for a response before he grabbed Blaine's face and smashed his hungry lips onto his.

Blaine felt like he was going to throw up. It felt so wrong and disgusting. Dave's lips were an abomination compared to Kurt's soft kisses that held the utmost passion. These lips were unpracticed, sloppy, and just lustfully desperate. Blaine suddenly felt Dave's tongue trying to enter his mouth and he jerked his face away immediately out of instinct.

"Ah, ah, ah, Blaine. Remember, you refuse me and I will personally guarantee that Kurt will meet with an accident," Dave reminded Blaine with an evil smirk.

Blaine still felt the tears rolling down his face. There was nothing he could do. If he refused, Kurt would be hurt and he couldn't let that happen no matter what the cost. Even if he had to face humiliation or be beaten, everything was worth Kurt's safety.

Blaine looked back up to Dave's lust-filled eyes and nodded solemnly.

"That's more like it."

Dave crashed his lips back onto Blaine's and this time he begrudgingly let Dave's tongue slide in and invade his mouth.

"Oh Blaine," Karofsky moaned during the kiss, "You kiss better than any one of those disgusting girls I have ever kissed. How did you get so good at this, babe?"

Blaine didn't answer, he was attempting to go into a dream world where it was really Kurt on the other end of the kiss and Dave Karofsky didn't exist. A place where he and Kurt were happy, kissing passionately and staring into each others eyes with love. Anywhere but here.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't really like this fictional David Karofsky…what say you guys? =P Well, here was chapter 4 for you guys, I really hope you liked it. I thought we should go more into the abuse that Blaine was facing with Karofsky. Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Reviews are very helpful to me and they keep me going. -.^ We'll see if we can't keep this trend of updates going!<strong>

**-Casey**


	5. Courage

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: As always, wonderful reviews, guys! It's seriously awesome to hear what you guys have to say and or offer. I feel highly motivated and happy that the story is being well-received. =D I guess I'll shut up now and get to my shout-outs for reviewers so I can bring you chapter 5, which is what I'm sure you all really want, isn't it? ;P**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**WiseGirl747 – I know what you mean! Karofsky is certainly not on the nice list this year. ;P I'm so glad to hear you're loving it! I'm loving the experience of writing it!**

**Klaine Lover – Hmm, it's kind of like you were in my head there for a minute. My plans for this chapter include maybe a thing or two of what you said…what are you doing in my head? Lol. Tis very excellent that we're on the same brain wave here. lol. The Dave and Wes thing is really interesting…not sure if it'd fit here in the story, but that could be a way cool option to get Blaine out of this mess!**

**Totallystarstruck – As always, I love to hear from you. Kurt is definitely the number 1 reason why Blaine would even contemplate surrendering to Karofsky. Super glad that you're enjoying it!**

**Lunalongbottom – Well, I guess you could take Blaine and I'll have Darren Criss? Lol, that's kinda like sharing sorta right? Lol. I've been a huge fan of Darren's since all the Starkid stuff came out due to my immense obsession of Harry Potter. Lol. On Glee I definitely felt bad for Karofsky, I hate making him so awful in here, but it's fiction. The real Dave would never be this cruel.**

**klainediva – You are very welcome. I had chance to crank out 2 chapters in a row and by golly I took that chance. I may have some more chances within the week to maybe get a couple more updates out, we'll have to see, but I definitely hope to do so!**

**GreggoAddict – I adore you, just saying. Lol. I definitely am trying to keep Blaine as strong and defiant as possible. He's a strong kid, but threaten the one thing he loves, and alas, he will submit. =( Again, thanks for leading me to your story. It was 2 wonderful days where I had something to look forward to after working really long days, but I blame you for also hooking me onto that story and causing me to not update this story! Lol. You had me transfixed on that wonderful story of yours! =D**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – No one could like such a douche, you're right! Lol. I'm so glad that you're enjoying it and thank you for all the wonderful compliments you grant me. It feels wonderful to hear such feedback and I truly appreciate it. ^.^**

**WishYouCouldBeALoserLikeMe – Your wish is granted! =D**

**GLEEKfreak101 – He most definitely is an ass. =( I'm sorry to do this to wonderful Blaine, but gosh, it just had to be done. ='( I am so glad you love the story! =D**

**F. Valconbridge - Don't you love when that happens? You miss one update but you get to come back to 2! I seriously love when that happens. Mr. Schue really is oblivious. Hehehe. I'm stoked to hear that you love the way things are written, I like to be a heart wrencher, lol. I haven't written anything to heartbreaking…yet. X_X Lol, as always, wonderful reviews!**

**Those reviews…I am speechless. You guys are truly wonderful. I couldn't ask for better readers! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and enjoy chapter 5!**

Chapter 5. "Courage"

"Good morning, my sweet Blainey-Bear!" Dave called out jovially and wrenched the closet door open.

Blaine hadn't slept very well. Too much had been preying on his mind for him to rest at all. Plus, he felt like if he had fallen into a deep sleep, Dave would have come in and taken further advantage of him while he was unconscious. The thought made him feel nauseous, even more so due to the insane lack of food in his system. He blinked rapidly attempting to get his eyes to adjust as the sudden light from the rising morning sun streamed into the closet. He was still in the same position Dave left him in after last night's events. He remained up against the back wall of the closet with his wrists bound tightly behind his back.

"So Blaine, sweetie, we had a fun night last night, didn't we?" Dave asked, kneeling down and placing his index finger under Blaine's chin to lift his head up.

_Yeah, if he counted humiliation and molestation as fun…_

"Those eyes," Dave muttered as he gazed deeply into Blaine's wide, hazel eyes causing his breathing to become erratic.

"They're just so beautiful; the way they shimmer in the light. I'm just so lucky that you're mine, Blaine. All _mine_."

Blaine couldn't respond since the tape had been placed against his mouth once again, preventing him from any back talk, which was probably for the best. He didn't want his words to be the cause of anything to happen to Kurt. Kurt was the most important thing keeping him going. He couldn't lose him. He would force himself to be strong for Kurt.

"So babe, I was thinking that we could use a nice good morning kiss, wouldn't you say?" Dave asked, sweetly.

Of course, Dave was met with silence due to Blaine's inability to speak.

"Audience participation is encouraged," Dave stated as he pulled the tape quickly from Blaine's mouth, which definitely was the equivalent to the pain of ripping off a band-aid.

Blaine gasped at the sting but bit back the few choice words he wished to say to Dave.

"Now…where's my kiss, puppy?" Dave asked, leaning in.

Blaine closed his eyes not wanting to see those disgusting lips coming towards his own. He felt them meet his with the same hungry passion from last night. At first it wasn't so bad but then there Dave's tongue was again seeking entrance. Blaine unwillingly accepted it. He didn't offer much for the kiss but it seemed that Dave was comfortable doing all the work due to him tangling his fingers into Blaine's hair and pulling on it lightly. He definitely was enjoying it too much to even notice Blaine's lack of participation.

Soon enough, Dave pulled away for air and grinned at Blaine like he was some sort of prize.

"How could I be so lucky to have such a handsome boy to kiss me before I go to school, hmm? How many can say that?"

Blaine stayed silent. If he didn't talk, then he couldn't get into any trouble.

"Why is my baby being so quiet, hmm?" Dave asked, cocking his head in interest.

Silence.

"Are you giving me the silent treatment, Blaine?"

Silence.

This caused the elated grin on Dave's face to fall into an angry scowl.

"You will answer me when I'm speaking to you," He snarled.

Blaine felt his heart rate quicken as Dave's face began to redden in anger but he didn't want to risk saying anything. The only way he could keep Kurt safe was by not using his words.

Dave growled and grabbed onto Blaine's hair and yanked his head back so that he was staring up at the ceiling. Blaine still kept his mouth shut, despite the shock and pain of having his hair nearly ripped out. '_Stay strong_' he repeated to himself.

"If you don't start talking to me, I will take you across my knee again and _make_ you talk to me, make you _beg_ me to stop!" He hissed into Blaine's ear.

Blaine shivered; he couldn't be put into that humiliating position again. Once was definitely enough.

"I—don't know what you want me to say," Blaine whispered, not chancing to say any more than that.

"I want you to say, 'I'm sorry, I was wrong, I deserve a punishment when you get home from school and I love you' and you have to _mean_ it." Dave responded simply.

That Blaine could not do. He loved Kurt and only Kurt. He didn't even think he was capable of saying those words.

"I-I can't," Blaine whispered again declining the absurd request. He couldn't say those things much less pretend to _mean_ what he was saying.

"You better say it, or you'll be getting another trip over my knee, Blaine," Dave threatened again.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, I deserve a…punishment when you get home from school…and I l-l-love you," Blaine attempted to say but it came out all wrong. He definitely didn't sound like he meant any of it. In fact, he practically sounded like a robot repeating the words back to Dave.

Dave didn't even respond. He simply grabbed Blaine roughly and pulled him out of the closet. It was like déjà vu all over again. Dave resumed kneeling in front of Blaine and angrily glared into his eyes.

"I said say it like you MEAN it, Blaine! Did that sound like you fucking _meant_ it?" Dave asked, slapping Blaine across the face.

"No, no it didn't," Blaine replied crisply, trying to keep his words short.

"Why is that?"

"Because I _didn't_ mean it."

"I don't have time to give you another spanking you desperately deserve, so that's going to have to wait until after I get home from school. For now, you disobedient boy, you're going to have to think about what I'm going to do to you when I get home. I am so very disappointed in you. Mark my words, I will make you behave and obey me, Blaine. Oh and by the way, I look very forward to seeing Kurt today."

Blaine felt his heart drop. Kurt…what was he going to do to Kurt?

"Please don't hurt him, he has nothing to do with this."

"Give me a reason not to, Blainey-Bear. I'll deal with you when I get home."

With that, Dave was far from gentle as he dragged Blaine back into the closet. He felt the pain as his back thudded against the wall as the closet door slammed shut.

* * *

><p>"I can't do this anymore; Rachel…this waiting. It's getting to be too much. What if Blaine really is-"<p>

"Don't go there, Kurt." Blaine is alive. I know it," Rachel stated firmly, pulling Kurt into a tight hug.

Kurt was once again breaking down at his locker. Every time he opened it and saw Blaine's picture with the word "Courage" underneath it, he lost it. Blaine would be so disappointed to see Kurt now. He had made so much more progress with standing up for himself and keeping everything in check but he was just so frightened of losing Blaine, he could hardly stand it. Blaine meant everything. If he lost him, he would lose himself.

"What will I do without him, Rachel? Without him, I can't breathe," Kurt sobbed into Rachel's shoulder, gripping her tightly like she was the last human being on earth.

"Shhh, they're going to find him," Rachel replied, as soothingly as possible and rubbing his back in small circles in an effort to calm him down.

"What's lady-boy crying about now? Is it one of those mood swings you girls get before you get on the rag?"

"Karofsky, this is neither the time nor place, please leave," Rachel ordered with no hint of politeness.

"Ohhh, is this still over Hummel's Blainey-Bear? He does realize that he's dead, right? Get over it already."

Rachel was caught off guard when Kurt pulled away from her and glared right at Karofsky, not bothering to wipe his tears from his eyes. He was far too angry.

"I don't know what happened to you, Dave. You seemed to be getting better; I don't know what snapped you back into this routine of being an asshole but it best stop. By the way, his name is _Blaine_. I would never refer to him as something as stupid and childish as Blainey-Bear and yes, if you must know, I'm upset over the well being of someone I _care_ about. That's not something you can just _get over_. I'm sorry you don't have someone to love you the way Blaine loves me but that's no reason to take your anger about that on us. Now it's best that you turn around and get the hell away from me before I _really_ get mean," Kurt raged.

Dave at first looked outraged but by the end of Kurt's rant, his frown turned into an evil looking smirk. He slowly stepped up to Kurt which caused the smaller boy to step back instinctively and ended up with his back pressed up against his locker. Dave glanced over and saw the picture of Blaine.

"Aw, isn't that adorable? Courage? Is that something Blaine told you to have, Kurt? If you had _any_ courage, you would accept that he's dead and not coming back. His love for you is gone forever. Accept it, Hummel. He's _gone_. The sooner you get that, the better."

"Where do you get off, Dave? Pretending like you knew Blaine at all. You never knew him. He's a fighter. He'll come back to me, I know he will. Because we have a love that lasts beyond anything you can comprehend, you arrogant asshole-"

Kurt was cut off when Dave's fist slammed into the locker next to his face.

"That was a warning, Hummel. I'm just trying to help you. You need to let him go for your own good; if not, there will be consequences," Dave hissed into Kurt's ear, then turned around and walked away with the crowd of football jocks.

"Are you OK, Kurt?" Rachel asked trying to take in what state Kurt was in and was in completely shocked when she discovered that he was smiling.

"I don't know what it was that Dave said, but even though he was telling me that Blaine's gone, I just believe that he has to be alive, Rachel. He can't be gone; I feel as if I'd know if he were gone. The world would seem a lot less bright; He's alive and I just know he is now. I'm not sure what this means or how I even know...but I just have to believe it's true," Kurt explained looking at his boyfriend's picture with hope. _Courage Blaine. You have the courage to make it back to me, I just know it._

"I believe you, Kurt. He's alive and they're going to find him," Rachel promised, grabbing Kurt's hand and giving it an encouraging squeeze. "Now c'mon, we're going to be late for Glee."

* * *

><p>Dave thundered down the hall shaking with anger. How the hell could Hummel still have hope after all this time? Why couldn't he just accept that Blaine was gone? He had no right to Blaine anymore and he needed to get that into his head. That little elven creature's words just sent him into a further state of rage. Blaine had already pissed him off this morning and he needed to fix that before Blaine got anymore smart with him. He needed to see that he was his now and forever and he knew precisely what he had to do.<p>

Dave caught sight of Azimio in the hall making his way to football practice. "Hey dude, wait up, we need to talk."

He took Azimio off to the side where there wasn't a single soul around to listen in as everyone else made their way into the locker room.

"Hey, so you know that _problem_ I have at my house?" Dave asked, speaking secretively and leaving out Blaine's name in case he was mistaken about being alone.

"Yeah, dude, how's that been going? Tinker Bell's a hell of a fighter; I told you."

"Well, I'm having a bit of trouble getting the problem to…cooperate with me."

"I'm thinking I'm going to have to come over and help you with this _project_."

"I think it's time we moved onto plan B. I'll take one for the team, no worries," Dave offered.

"Sweet, dude. We need to teach him a lesson and I'm just grateful it doesn't have to be me, man."

Dave smiled to himself. He couldn't let on what Blaine truly meant to him but it didn't matter. He could keep up the front that Blaine was being a defiant fag and the only solution was to simply keep beating every ounce of gay out of him as well as teaching him the ultimate lesson. As long as Azimio thought that's what Dave's true motive was, he could use him to help him motivate his most cherished possession. Blaine was going to be in for a very rough night and after tonight; he would become submissive to Dave. It was a done deal.

* * *

><p><strong>Trouble is definitely ahead, guys! Fair warning, the next chapter is going to have a lot to it. I've got it all planned out. It's going to get a lot more intense from here on out. It's started out sort of light, but from now on, it's going to get pretty dark. I'm thinking the rating is going to go up to an M. I hope I don't lose anyone with this, but I thought I'd give a warning ahead of time. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter and are excited for things to start getting a bit more…dark. As always, please leave me some feedback and let me know how it's going. Much love to you all!<strong>

**-Casey**


	6. Submissive

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Breathtaking reviews as always, everyone! I usually love to ramble up here, but I'm just going to get right to it. Here is where this little story of ours is heading into a deep, dark tunnel. So, if you are at all uncomfortable, I do not blame you for leaving this story, we'll miss you, but I totally understand. Plus, we have now earned an M rating, folks…at my own discretion. I know a lot of fics here are improperly labeled as far as ratings go, but I am adhering to those rules. ;P A major warning here is that this chapter has a rape scene. Please, if you're at all uncomfortable, please don't read it. The general gist is that Blaine is raped and that's all you need know. So with that, we are warned. ;P  
><strong>

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**klainediva – Lol, I'm evil, I know. But hey, luckily I'm getting these updates out a lot quicker than when I started! =D Karofsky definitely doesn't know who he's messing with at all!**

**GLEEKfreak101 – Blaine is definitely in trouble. =( Dave is most definitely a jerk. X.X**

**AisforAwesome – I know, right? Glad I manage to keep you in suspense. ;D**

**Totallystarstruck – I am so glad to hear that the story was on your mind. ^.^ That means I must be doing something right! =D Glad to hear that you're also into dark fics, this is definitely going to go there.**

**GreggoAddict – I can't wait till you get your groove back. *Totally thought about Emperor's New Groove right there…lol* I seriously can't wait for an update on that. Blaine is at that predicament of wanting to keep his dignity with defiance and trying to keep Kurt safe. Plus, Dave's sick and of course he'll take any excuse to say Blaine's "misbehaving" Tsk, Tsk. =/**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – Totally glad to hear this! =D You are the amazing one here!**

**WiseGirl747 – Right? Karofky has some "watching out" to do. The Blaine fangirls might just break into the world of fiction and kill him! Lol. Thank you so much for the compliment! =D**

**Klaine Lover – Unfortunately he did. =( Dave better watch out for you. Lol. Hmm, interesting idea. If I can find a spot in the story where that could work, I'll definitely let ya know!**

**tranghana – Blaine is in for a world of trouble, but one thing's for certain, I don't think I would never have the heart to kill Blaine. A world without Blaine is a terrible world, indeed. =(**

**– I know. =( My heart goes out to Blaine…I'm such a mean writer to be doing this stuff to him. =/**

**Kilen – I'm super glad you like it! ^.^**

**You guys are as always way too awesome to be reading my story. Lol. You all definitely keep me motivated to get home from work and read the wonderful things you have to say, that in turn helps crank out those updates quicker. I get that powerful motivation to write and write and write! So as always, reviews = motivation = love = happiness = life! Much love! "Shut up, Casey and give us chapter 6!" Sheesh, sorry, guys! I'm getting there! ;D**

Chapter 6. "Submissive"

Blaine never thought seven hours could pass by so quickly. He hardly felt that he was left alone for any length of time before he heard footsteps ascending the stairs. Dave was back and after that morning, he was sure that he was coming home to bring back the hell he promised him.

Shortly thereafter, the closet door was pulled open, revealing a rather more sadistic looking than usual Karofsky.

"I'm home, Blainey-bear. Miss me?"

Blaine didn't respond.

"I had a _really_ good day, which unfortunately from your behavior this morning, will be the opposite of what you will have. We have a guest coming over today, so what do you say we get your punishment out of the way before he gets here, hmm? I skipped football just so that I could get here sooner. I thought to myself, what sounded better? Football…or giving my Blaine a well-deserved punishment? I obviously chose the latter."

_'Thank you captain obvious…'_ Blaine thought to himself.

Dave picked him up from the closet and wordlessly placed him in the all-too-familiar position at the foot of the bed. He then proceed to take the tape off of Blaine's mouth so that he could respond.

"Now, Blaine, what have we learned from this morning?"

"Not to be defiant and do as you say…" Blaine responded attempting to sound sincere but was pretty sure it was no where close.

"Correct and why are you receiving this punishment?"

"Because when you told me to say that I loved you, I told you I didn't mean it."

"Good boy," Dave responded and reached down to grab Blaine but before he could, Blaine interjected.

"Did you hurt Kurt?"

"Kurt…? You should be more worried about yourself, baby." Dave replied sternly, moving to grab Blaine again.

"Did you do anything to him…you threatened that you would."

"Relax, sweetheart. I did nothing to Kurt. I talked to him that was it."

"So you didn't hurt him?"

"Don't you worry, even though he's got a knack for back talk, Hummel's safe for now; provided you do everything I say."

Blaine felt a small sensation of pride take over him. Even though Blaine wasn't there to help Kurt, he was able to stand up to Karofsky on his own. His love and admiration for Kurt just couldn't stop growing.

"So I'll give you a choice here," Dave continued. "You can forget about Kurt and get over my knee, or I'll put you back in that closet and the "special guest" and I will go pay your beloved Kurt a visit-"

"I'll do it, I'm sorry," Blaine spoke in a rush.

"You'll do what, baby?"

"I'll-get over your knee…" He responded uncomfortably.

"One little catch today, sweetie. We'll be taking those jeans down for this spanking. Your behavior this morning earned it."

Blaine hesitated. The humiliation of being spanked over his jeans was enough; he didn't know how he was going to handle it with this new addition.

"Bare bottom spanking, or we attack Kurt; your choice, Anderson," Dave stated, clearly enjoying all of this like it was the best game he had ever played.

"I'll take the spanking. Just don't hurt Kurt," Blaine relented.

"Very well. Good choice, Blaine," Dave responded, grabbing Blaine and standing him upright. As he began to work on unbuckling Blaine's belt, Blaine forced his gaze up towards the ceiling. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had to do whatever he could to try to ignore the reality of this absolutely demeaning situation. Dave made quick work of the belt, tossed it aside and slowly pulled his jeans down.

Blaine could feel his face warm in embarrassment. No one was supposed to see him this exposed but Kurt. Luckily Dave didn't comment anymore before guiding him across his lap.

He didn't even bother giving another lecture before he brought his hand down. Blaine gasped at the first swat but was able to just grit his teeth as the spanking progressed. He focused on the fact that his being submissive and taking this was what was keeping Kurt safe, which gave him the strength to take it.

His backside felt as if it were on fire after the first minute. He didn't have a whole lot of experience with spanking, so he didn't really have a high pain tolerance. He and Kurt hadn't really gotten very far past the playful swats when they were making out or something. Blaine was pretty sure that in play, Blaine would be the spanker, and Kurt the spankee. Kurt had mentioned that he liked the idea of spanking and Blaine had planned to give him one sometime. Being the one over the knee really wasn't Blaine's plan ever…especially with it being Dave and not Kurt.

"Your ass is so red already, Blaine…it looks beautiful," Dave stated in awe as he spanked.

The punishment went on for a few more minutes but Blaine somehow was able to keep most of his gasps of pain internal. It was excruciating but he wanted to stay as strong as possible throughout all of this. He didn't want to get back to Kurt a weeping mess so he would have to stay strong like he always was; Kurt deserved that.

The doorbell ringing was what caused Dave to finally cease the relentless swats. He stood Blaine up and wordlessly fixed his jeans back into place. As he began to re-buckle Blaine's belt, he spoke. "That should be our guest, Blaine. After today, I think you're going to find all that pride of yours gone." Without another word, he threw Blaine back onto the bed, causing him to hiss as his backside made contact with the bed.

"You _will_ be submissive, Blaine. We're going to make sure of it," Dave finished and placed a fresh piece of tape over Blaine's mouth before he fled downstairs to get the door. Not a moment later, Blaine heard voices coming back in his direction. He knew that this special guest had to be Azimio. Dave couldn't risk anyone else knowing about all of this. He tried to keep calm at the thought of seeing Azimio again. The whole thought of facing his attacker again was a silly notion, one that he had never _actually_ planned to carry out. In truth, he was still afraid of Azimio and he was sure a part of him always would be.

Blaine knew he had to gear himself up for more beating. The only positive with Dave up to this point was that he never had to worry too much on the physical abuse; the spanking he was sure he could handle; however, he had to deal more so with the mental abuse…at this point he could hardly tell which one was worse.

"Ah, looks like Tinker Bell's been healing since last time. I think we need to add some more bruises to that face," Azimio stated as he came into the room and spotted Blaine.

Dave gritted his teeth hoping that they could steer away from the direction of Blaine's face but at this point he needed to take what he could get. Azimio was being a real pal by coming over to help him deal with this and allowing him to 'take one for the team' he had hoped if they ever resorted to plan B that he alone would be in charge of that plan. He really didn't want Azimio touching his Blaine in that way.

"Let's get him back downstairs," Dave insisted as each of the boys grabbed onto Blaine's upper arms and together dragged him out of Dave's room.

That's when Dave had a different idea. He got Azimio to release Blaine's arm and proceeded to throw Blaine over his shoulder.

"This'll be a hell of a lot quicker than dragging him," Dave offered up as an explanation.

Azimio simply shrugged and grunted in response. As they walked, Blaine was able to take in his surroundings this time. Dave surprisingly lived in a very nice house. He never would've imagined that he was being held against his will in such a nice, normal looking place. He caught a glimpse of the fireplace and couldn't help but think of a younger normal version of Dave hanging a Christmas sticking from the mantle. He got such a sense of warmth from the living room space it amazed him. He imagined it had to look like a messy dungeon or something due to the circumstances. He didn't have much time to take in more as they soon enough made it to that dreaded door that lead to the basement. Azimio grabbed the door for Dave and they all made it down to the basement to have their fun with Blaine.

He was dropped rather harshly onto the cold, hard concrete in the center of the room. He curled up into a fetal position instantaneously; he wanted to do his best to prevent the most damage that he could. He knew he couldn't fight as much as he really wanted to.

"I think you'll find a nice lesson in all of this. Disobey," Dave took this opportunity to push Blaine out of his curled up position and onto his back so that he was staring up at him. "…and you are punished."

Before Blaine could even grimace at Dave's warning, he felt Azimio's shoe collide with his side. He inhaled sharply, not being able to let out a scream. Soon enough, another kick landed in the same spot and Blaine moaned in pain as a result. He didn't hear a crack, that was a good sign; it still didn't make it any less painful none-the-less.

"Hmm, close but still not a scream, Anderson. I'm still waiting for that. It's a good thing Dave's dad isn't home yet so that I get another chance to get that out of you."

That was a constant thought on Blaine's mind. He had been losing track of how many days he'd been held captive but there was the promise of Dave's dad returning and when he did, Blaine was prepared to do everything in his power to draw attention to what his son had been up to. There was no way that Mr. Karofsky was in on any of this and he'd be Blaine's only chance at being rescued. He wasn't sure what Dave's plan was once his father got home from the trip. He wasn't even sure if the mentally ill jock had even thought that far ahead. For a plan that he had been concocting for this long stretch of time, Blaine was sure that Dave hadn't even given a second thought as to what he would do with Blaine once he no longer had the house to himself.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Azimo got onto the ground so that he could be level with his victim. He pulled Blaine up by the front of his shirt so he could add a few punches to his face. One particular punch landed on his eye, which he was certain would leave a nasty bruise. He could see Dave grimacing behind Azimio clearly upset with the fact that it was face that was being beaten right now. Another punch landed and he could feel his lip split underneath the tape. He was proud that he hadn't given Azimio the satisfaction of hearing him scream. If there was any light to this, he was a lot stronger since the last time he had faced him. There were a lot of other grunts of pain, moans and other things but still no scream.

Azimio, satisfied that he had made his point on Blaine's face let go of the front of Blaine's shirt which allowed him to fall to the ground. Azimio stood up and walked over to where he left his backpack on the other side of the room. This gave Blaine a chance to lie there for a second to breathe and take in the pain. He really didn't know how much more of this physical abuse he could take. It was exhausting enough as it was but the pain of holding back the screams doubled it. He didn't even have a chance to rest for long before he heard the sound of a lighter clicking. He looked over and saw that Azimio had lit up a cigarette and was in the middle of lighting one up for Dave. Azimio took a few drags off of it as he took a couple long strides back over to the injured boy on the ground.

"You beginning to re-think your sexual preference, Anderson?" Azimio asked, ashing his cigarette onto Blaine. "Because if not, I think we can add an additional incentive."

Azimio gestured for Dave to join him, to which he obliged. Azimo put his cigarette in between his lips and lifted Blaine up so that he could untie his wrists. As soon as the ropes fell to the ground, Azimio grabbed his right arm as Dave grabbed the left, not giving Blaine a chance to rebound the attack onto them, which he wasn't so sure he could've pulled off anyway. He would've wanted to try, but being as small as he is, he was certain that the only thing that could have come out of it was pissing them off a lot more and as a result, adding additional pain. So no matter how hard he wished to attempt to fight back, he had to be compliant as possible to ensure Kurt's well being as well as his own.

Azimio pulled out Blaine's arm, then took the cigarette out from between his lips. He signaled for Dave to do the same.

"We have women for a reason. Why you think you're entitled to be disgusting and unnatural is beyond me, Tinker Bell. But, if we can make an impression on you, I'll sleep better at night knowing that there's one less of you in the world," Azimio stated, and then proceeded to give a nod to Dave who looked extremely uncomfortable with what they were about to do.

Blaine knew what they were going to do before they even did it, but it still didn't prepare him nor take away the blinding pain of it.

Both Azimio and Dave placed their cigarettes on the underside of Blaine's arms between his wrist and elbow. Blaine screamed as loud as he could, the tape muffling most of the sound as his flesh was slowly burning. The sound of his pain cast no reflection to the outside world. No one could hear his agony.

After what felt like an eternity, they took their cigarettes away, leaving Blaine shaking in pain as hot tears were cascading down his face. He had tried to be brave up to this point but being burned slowly was a whole new level of pain beyond anything he had experienced before. He glanced down at his arms that were still held tightly by his assailants. On each shaking arm, there was a large circular burn mark. There was no doubt in Blaine's mind that they would scar. The scars that Blaine would carry once he got out of here were numerous…that is if he ever got out of here.

"Ah, listen to that," Azimio instructed. "I've missed the sound of that scream."

Blaine with tear filled eyes glared daggers at Azimio as he kept shaking from the intense pain. He wanted nothing more than to take that cigarette and shove it down that sadistic son of a bitch's throat; see how he enjoys the feeling of being held down and burnt against his will.

Azimio grinned back at Blaine who continued to glare in defiance. "I think we have one final lesson for ya, Tinker Bell. Dave will be taking one for the team for me on this one but trust me, you're really gonna learn a lesson on this one," Azimio announced, letting Blaine's arm drop from his grasp and heading back over to his backpack and rummaging through the contents.

If Blaine could have died in this moment, he would have. Looking back on it, this was the moment that would haunt him for the rest of his life, he was certain of it. He felt every vessel in his body freeze in complete and utter fear. He shook his head over and over again as Azimio returned with a condom in one hand and a bottle of lube in the other.

They were going to rape him…even after Azimio's speech of "gay being wrong," he was going to make an example by Dave raping him? No. Not this. A beating he could take, being spanked he could take, even being burnt with cigarettes he could take, but this? There was no way he would be able to handle this.

Blaine tried to speak, but again, was muffled by the tape. Dave noticed and ripped the tape off of Blaine's mouth for the time being.

"As I said before, Blaine, I do love audience participation."

"Y-y-you don't have to do this!" Blaine gasped out, still flinching from the current state of pain he was in. "I-I swear I-I won't tell anyone ab-bout this, j-j-ust please don't…don't do this…you can do whatever else to me you want, just please…a-anything but that."

Blaine was pleading as hard as he could. He was in such unbearable pain that he couldn't even speak without stuttering but at this point, he didn't care. He would do any amount of begging that he could to stop this from happening. He didn't want his virginity stripped away by a homophobic bully and a very mentally sick teenager trying to find solace in his homosexuality within Blaine. Kurt was the one to take this most precious thing from him, not them.

"I don't see why you're fighting it; don't you gays love this shit?" Azimio asked and after handing the supplies to Dave, he swapped places with him and proceeded to hold Blaine down as Dave dropped his pants and began to put the condom on.

"Just b-because I'm gay, d-doesn't mean that I've had sex and th-throw myself around or th-that I like being…r-r…" Blaine tried to be defiant amidst all of this, but couldn't bring himself to say the word rape out loud.

"We'll see about that. Hold your wrists up," Azimio instructed as he picked up the rope from the floor.

Blaine didn't do it. He wouldn't do it. His breathing was growing heavy as panic took over. He was going to be raped and there was nothing that he could do to stop it from happening.

"I _said_ hold your wrists up."

"No…"

Azimio backhanded Blaine across the face.

"You will do as you're told! Dave, I'm thinkin' we have to go after Hummel. I bet we could get _him_ to submit a hell of a lot easier-"

Blaine cut him off immediately. "No! No, I'm sorry; please don't hurt Kurt! I'll obey, I'm sorry," Blaine begged.

"Now you'll hold your wrists up for Azimio like a good boy?" Dave asked stroking himself over behind Azimio.

Blaine blinked back tears as he slowly nodded, placed his wrists together and offered them to Azimio who began to tie them together in front of him.

As soon as he was finished, Azimio stood up to watch the show from further back as Dave came over and began to unbuckle Blaine's belt. He was in full panic mode. This was really going to happen. Hot tears of humiliation sprung from his eyes as Dave lowered Blaine's jeans for the second time that day. As soon as he had his jeans down, Dave turned him over so that he was on all fours. Having his wrists tied in front of him made him able to place his hands on the floor so that he could keep his balance. It wasn't without difficulty. He was shaking so much both from pain and fear that he didn't even know if he could hold himself up during this act of violation.

Dave then placed himself behind Blaine and leaned forward to whisper in his ear so that Azimio couldn't listen in.

"Your ass is still so red and bruised from your spanking…I've never been so hard. Also, remember this: I'll always have something that Kurt won't; your virginity. That's mine and _you_ are mine. Don't you forget that," After that little speech, Dave wasted no time: no preparation and without warning, he thrust himself into Blaine. Blaine didn't even hold back, he screamed.

No pain had ever felt like that. Dave didn't even try to be gentle; he hungrily thrust into Blaine over and over again. The pain mixed with the humiliation was too much to handle and he began to sob as the tears began to flow steadily. There was no going back, his virginity had been stolen from him. A gift that he could no longer give to Kurt was taken from him in just one instant and there was no comparison as to what it would have been like with Kurt. This act would have been performed out of an act of love, not lust. He felt himself being torn and ripped apart by Dave, who was too elated to notice or care. Of course he had to keep his game face on to look as if he wasn't enjoying it as much as he was to give Azimio the impression that this was some sort of chore rather than something he'd been waiting to do since he first layed eyes on him. A particularly hard thrust almost caused Blaine to lose his balance and fall onto his face but he managed to keep himself upright as the pain kept on coming.

He could feel something wet dripping from his backside, whether it was pre-cum or blood, he didn't know. Surely there had to have been some blood due to the fact that Karofsky was far from gentle as he violated him. He felt Dave shudder and respond with a groan as he evidently came. It was a foreign sensation and felt absolutely wrong. It was a warm feeling that would have resulted with butterflies in his stomach if it had been Kurt who had just become a part of him but no, it was Karofsky and the only thing he felt was nausea. Dave slowly pulled out of Blaine and performed one single act of kindness towards him and pulled his jeans back up so that he was no longer exposed. Blaine didn't even bother to hold himself up anymore. He let his hands fall from underneath him and proceeded to fall onto his stomach. He slowly curled himself up into a ball desperately trying to make the pain go away.

"Let's leave him to his thoughts...and let that be a lesson to you. If you felt that what we did was or felt wrong, then maybe you should consider being straight. Any fairy would've enjoyed that. I'll bet Hummel would have _loved_ it," Azimio sneered.

They both went back upstairs leaving Blaine curled up on the floor alone. He couldn't think of any other word to describe how we felt but dirty. Kurt wouldn't even want him back now. He didn't have the most precious gift to offer him anymore. He would probably think Blaine was disgusting now and he was; he was damaged goods. What did he have left for Kurt now? If he ever got back to him, he already knew things were going to be different after all these traumatizing experiences. Not only would he be different emotionally, but now he would be different physically, too. His innocence...his virtue was gone.

He couldn't let himself think this way. There had to be some kind of hope, right? What he and Kurt had was real, not this lusty, nauseating fantasy that Karofsky had concocted in his twisted mind. Kurt was the only one who understood him fully and maybe, just maybe he could find it within himself to understand that Blaine hadn't wanted this. He hadn't let his virginity be stolen willingly. His heart yearned for Kurt. He longed to be held tightly in Kurt's arms with him running fingers through his hair and telling him that everything would be OK as long as they were together. He had to hold onto that thought to keep himself from shutting himself down completely. All he wanted to do was abandon hope and just let it all go. Kurt deserved more than that, he deserved someone who was willing to fight to find his way back. He had to find a way to rise above this.

The only problem was that he had no idea how. He tried so hard to fight for Kurt but he wasn't sure how much fight he had left in him. This final act of torture took almost every last bit of it away and he wasn't so sure he could stay strong anymore.

"Kurt," Blaine sobbed quietly. "Kurt, help me…"

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><p><strong>This chapter is simply saddening, I know. I did warn that it was going to get darker. Get darker it did. = Hopefully you guys still liked it amidst the very saddening content. I'm keeping this note short and am just going to say the usual. Review and let me know your thoughts! Reviews are happiness. =)**

**One More Note: This is important. I wanted to state that even though Azimio is a fictional character, homophobic bullies like him exist. Disillusioned people who don't know how to handle things they don't approve of or understand. It's important to know that you should never fear to be who you are. Be proud to be you! In the words of Darren Criss, "That what makes you different is what makes you strong. Whether you're gay, straight, purple, orange, or dinosaur, I don't care."**

**Never be afraid to be who you are. I thought it was important to say that because although this story deals with the crazy notion that you can "beat the gay out of someone," the truth is, you can't, it's insane. You can't change anyone from being who they are, so…take that, stupid fictional Azimio! Anyways, thanks guys, I'm looking very forward to those reviews!**

**-Casey**


	7. Broken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Reviews were absolutely incredible as always guys! Reading all of them made me so incredibly happy that you don't even know. A lot's gonna happen in this here chapter, and even though the outcome could possibly seem like the end is near, it's definitely not. It's far from over. So don't get your hopes up! ;D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**klainediva – Thank you kindly. I hope he's found soon, too!**

**DayDreamer2369 – You are too sweet. It is unbelievable that there are truly people out there who have that kind of thought process. It sickens me. If everyone could just learn to love everybody for who they are, the world could be such a better place, seriously. =P**

**GreggoAddict – Azimio is messed up like Karofsky so I don't think he gave Dave's sexuality a second thought. They're both screwed in the head. =/ Hope you don't hate me after this chapter…lol.**

**LopeDogg – Aww, I'm sorry to hear that I made you cry. =( It is a terrible reality that this stuff does in fact exist. Thanks for reading and enjoying the story! I know what you mean, too! I am so masochistic when it comes to reading fanfiction…it's like I read the ones that will make me cry on purpose! =P Lol.**

**AnatomyFreak – I definitely hope so. =(**

**angel-hime96 – The update isn't out as fast as I'd have liked, but I tried to get this up at quick as possible! =)**

**tranghana – We shall see. He really does need Kurt now more than ever. =(**

**x0xalexis8 – Tis sad, but don't feel bad, be glad! Sorry, I had to bust a rhyme there. ^.^**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – You are more amazing! I just wrote what I thought needed to be said. =)**

**Klaine Lover – You're scarier than the police department! If I were Dave or Azimio, I wouldn't want to face your wrath, let me tell you. ;D**

**Totallystarstruck – Thanks! I know, poor Blaine indeed. =(**

**WiseGirl747 – Aww, I didn't mean to depress you. =( I think the fangirls just need to get in this story and rescue Blaine. Lol. It'd be quite the funny aspect to put into a very sad story…lol.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – Unfortunately, yes. He was capable and he did it. I'm glad you're so excited for the next chapter!**

**no1hpfan – Man, everyone's telling me they were crying at this one…I guess that means that I did my job, but damn, I feel bad for making everyone cry! =(**

**LunaLongbottom – No problem, Luna! It's great to see you back. To tell you the truth, some of this I make up as I go, but certain things I did have planned. I don't really have an outline, some of it just comes to me, I'll be at work and I think of ideas. Stuff like that, really. ;D**

**orangepurpledinsoaur – I'm so glad you like it! It is indeed heavy on the heartbreak aspect. =(**

**So…many….reviews! I am shocked…but in a great way! You guys have no idea how motivated and happy that I am. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I now hope that you all don't hate me for this chapter. I really do hope you like it. Fingers crossed.**

Chapter 7. "Broken"

"They still haven't found anything?" Finn asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Kurt stood outside the bathroom door leaning with his back against the wall awaiting his turn to occupy the bathroom for his night time skin care ritual.

"No," Kurt answered, hanging his head with defeat. "They don't have a damn clue. They didn't find any fingerprints on the handle of the car door and no evidence as to _how_ he was taken other than the blood they found. I don't know what to do; if the police can't find anything, how will we ever find out where Blaine is?"

"Do you know of anyone who had a problem with Blaine? Anyone who would have had a reason to take him?" Finn inquired as he rinsed his mouth of the minty paste.

When Kurt really thought about it; absolutely not. Blaine was well liked by everyone he was aware of. He was like the Prince Charming of Dalton Academy. The teachers loved him and he was friends with everyone. He couldn't think of a single person who would have the motive to take him and possibly hurt him. He refused to believe that it could be anyone of any significance to him at all. Kurt rubbed at his eyes feeling ultimately frustrated. It had been weeks and he was still at square one when it came to all of his guesses.

"No. No one disliked Blaine that I know of; it couldn't be anyone that I know."

"Well, it had to be," Finn insisted. "Why would some _random_ person just take him? There was no note…and how did they know that he would even be here? He's not even _from_ Lima. Whoever it was had to have been following him."

"Unless it was some stranger who happened to be around at the time that Blaine was leaving."

Finn grabbed at the soap and began to wash his face as he spoke. "It's possible, dude…but I think it had to have been someone he knew. The circumstances are just too weird. Normally when someone gets taken, they leave a ransom note and want money. Or at least that's what I see on cop shows," Finn shrugged. "I think it's time we started asking around or something. See what we can find."

"Finn Hudson, I think for once you have the right idea," Kurt stated with a smile as he pushed Finn out of the doorway who had just made a grab for his towel to dry his face and proceeded to make his way into the bathroom.

"I know, right? Hey wait a minute...what do you mean for _once_?"

Kurt let out a faint snicker and shut the bathroom door.

* * *

><p>The next day at school, Kurt had made his way around asking if anyone had any insight to Blaine's disappearance. So far, he was coming up with nothing. Everyone's guess seemed to be as good as his. He knew this wouldn't add up. A lot of the students at McKinley didn't even have a <em>clue<em> as to who Blaine was much less a motive as to why they'd kidnap him. It had been worth a shot, though. He'd do anything to just stop twiddling his thumbs and wait for an answer to inexplicably fall from the sky. If he wanted answers, he needed to find them for himself. As the bell rang signalling the end of last period, Kurt decided to take a minute and stop by his locker. He entered the combination and slowly opened the door and was once again greeted by Blaine's picture smiling down at him from its usual post.

Kurt sighed. "Where are you, Blaine? I need you here. I swear I'll do whatever it takes to find you and bring you home safe," Kurt whispered to the picture.

"Talking to ghosts, lady-boy?"

Kurt felt his irritation boil as he was once again greeted by the snarky voice of Karofsky. He whipped around and was met with the sight of the larger boy grinning in what looked to be an expression of accomplishment. Kurt was extremely put off at the sight of him. That grin…there was something _not right_ about it.

"Why do you keep coming around me, Dave? Why can't you just leave me alone?" Kurt asked in a calm fashion. He decided to play it cool and see what was going on with Karofsky.

"Oh, your mourning for your dead boyfriend is touching; I couldn't miss it. It practically brings a manly tear to my eye."

Kurt was starting to get a weird feeling. Why did Dave keep insinuating that Blaine was dead? No one had any information on Blaine's whereabouts at all. To insinuate that he was dead made it seem as if Dave knew something that others didn't. Kurt couldn't help but feel mildly suspicious.

"Why do you keep saying he's dead, Dave? No one knows where he is, he could be anywhere…" Kurt said trying to sound casual and not demanding of answers. If Dave _did_ know something, Kurt didn't want him to suspect that he was on to him.

There was a moment of silence before Dave came up with a response.

"It's an _assumption_, Hummel. He can't be found, one would assume someone killed him and buried him in a ditch somewhere."

Kurt felt his stomach twist; from nerves or anger, he didn't know. "I don't know who in their right mind would _assume_ something like that."

"Reality, " Dave offered simply with a shrug and sauntered away.

Kurt was left standing at his locker feeling his suspicion of Dave growing stronger and stronger. He had to take a beat; why on earth would Dave take Blaine? Dave hardly knew him. He decided that he wouldn't rule it out, but he was fairly sure that Karofsky would have no reason to kidnap Blaine, or did he? Kurt wasn't sure. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Dave never made any sense; the fear of having to hide who we was from the jocks who were _supposed_ to be his friends might be taking a toll on him mentally. He decided that he'd just have to keep his options open...Karofsky couldn't have done it.

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><p>Dave needed to play it more casual. He didn't like the way that Hummel was looking at him today...was he starting to suspect something? He was planning to talk to Azimio about it, but ultimately decided against it. He didn't really want any further assistance from Azimio. He had served his purpose; he had helped him take the fight from Blaine but that had to be the end of it. He decided that he would stop his little chats with Kurt. He couldn't risk being found out.<p>

The more Dave thought about it, though, the more reason he found that Hummel couldn't suspect anything. As far as he was aware, Blaine meant nothing to him. As long as he played this a little more on the down low, he had nothing to fear. Blaine would stay his forever and that was the only thing that mattered to him.

"Rise and shine, sweetie, it's time to play," Dave called out as he descended the stairs into the basement.

Blaine was still lying on the floor where Azimio and Dave had left him the night before. Dave hadn't bothered to come back down to put him back into the closet and Blaine couldn't even find the will to move, so it was just as well. He felt completely broken; as if everything in the world had been taken from him. He had nothing left and from here it could only get worse. Was shutting down going to make it hurt less?

"I hope my Blaine got enough rest because we have a lot on the agenda today," Dave continued as he knelt down beside Blaine. "I'm really pissed that Azimio went for your face, I really don't like to see it cut and bruised. Azimio doesn't understand that you have such a pretty face and it's practically a crime to hurt it..."

Blaine was hardly listening. He was too busy staring at the cement wall in front of him.

Dave growled in frustration. "What did I say about giving me the silent treatment, Blaine?" He grabbed a fistful of Blaine's hair and used it to pull Blaine's face towards his.

Blaine wanted to speak but he couldn't use the words that he wanted to, which were to tell Karofsky to rot in hell.

"I can't possibly believe that after last night you would still be defiant towards me. I didn't want to punish you again so soon, but honest to god here, Blainey-bear, you're giving me no choice," Dave tsked as he let go of Blaine's hair, sat down on the ground and began working on undoing Blaine's belt.

Blaine felt that same icy feeling starting to burn in his stomach. What was Karofsky going to do now? His backside was still sore from yesterday's spanking and he of course was hurting from the rape. He knew he had been lying in dried blood all night, but there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he even wanted to do about it other than turn back time and make sure it never happened in the first place.

"Please don't…"

Blaine was surprised that he had finally found his voice. It wasn't defiant, but a plea.

"Don't? Don't what, sweetheart?"

"Please…don't hurt me anymore."

"If you weren't so naughty, I wouldn't have to, Blaine…but I have to teach you."

Blaine knew he wasn't going to win. Karofsky was _convinced_ that he was something or someone that he wasn't and there was no getting past his sick mind…or perhaps he did deserve it? He was starting to lose the difference between the two. Was this the world's way of telling Blaine that he deserved this for everything he had done wrong in his life? Maybe he did deserve it and he just didn't realize it.

That was just crazy, how on earth could he deserve this? No one deserved to be treated this way; to be stripped of all their pride, to be tricked into obedience by means of threatening the well being of a loved one. There was no way…Blaine had to know that, didn't he?

"Y-you're right…"

"What was that?" Karofsky asked, his hands freezing on the waist band of Blaine's jeans.

"I—I do deserve this…"

Apparently not. The more Blaine thought about it, the more it had to make sense. He couldn't deduce a good enough reason that all of this was happening to him. He refused to believe that it was all happening for no good reason. He was sure that that would just make it worse, so the fact that this had to be some kind of punishment for any of his transgressions made it better than if it were happening for no reason at all. He had to cling to this thought; it was the only thing that could help him survive this.

"Now we're getting somewhere, babe. Admitting it is the first step, now come here and give me a kiss and maybe your punishment won't be _as_ severe," Karofsky responded, leaning in for a kiss.

Blaine allowed their lips touch and felt Dave's tongue slip routinely into his mouth. He was starting to become numb to it. What was the point in being defiant? It wasn't getting him any closer to getting out of here. He lost track of how much time he had been trapped here but he was certain that no one was on the way to save him. How would they ever suspect Dave of anything? He and the jock had virtually no ties to each other and had only been in the vicinity of each other twice. Well, only twice that Blaine was _aware_ of. The likeliness of someone finding him at this point was looking very bleak. Karofsky's dad had to be in on this or something; why else would Dave not be the least bit concerned about how his dad was going to react to all of this?

"Oh and babe, by the way, I ran into Hummel today. He was _raving_ about this new guy he met with that Glee Club and I could have sworn I saw him take down that picture of you he had in his locker. I overheard him saying that it was out with the old and in with the new. Guess that opens everything up for us, huh?"

Blaine felt his heart drop. Kurt _wouldn't_ give up on him like that…would he? It'd only been a few weeks. Kurt couldn't just forget about him in such a short period of time. He would never…but maybe after all this time, Kurt realized that without Blaine he could do better? He had the confidence now. He didn't need Blaine anymore…

"Now, it's time we got to business, get on all fours," Dave ordered.

Blaine nodded slowly and obliged. He had to hold back a sob as he braced himself for the never ending pain to resume.

"There's my good boy, "Dave encouraged softly as he proceeded to pull Blaine's jeans down. "I think you deserve a bit of time with my belt here for that little bout of silent treatment you gave me earlier, don't you?"

"Y-yes, I do," Blaine replied, hanging his head. He felt a few tears wander their way out of his eyes as he felt himself giving up any ounce of fight he had left. He started shaking as soon as he heard the clinking of the belt buckle as Dave slid his belt out through the loops.

"I want you to tell me that you're sorry you've been naughty and defiant and that you deserve this,"

"I-I'm sorry I've been naughty and defiant and I deserve whatever p-punishment you deem fit to give me."

"Good boy," Dave stated approvingly before he swung the belt and let it collide with Blaine's bare backside.

It stung like hell, but Blaine tried to grit his teeth and take it. Somehow, someway, he knew he deserved it and that was the only way he was going to be able to take it.

By the 7th stroke, Blaine was in tears. His ass was still sore from the previous day; he shuddered to think what his backside looked like. He head never been in this much pain before...and it hurt like absolute hell. The 10th stroke landed and then Blaine felt no more. Karofsky must have decided that he had had enough. It was when he heard the sound of pants unbuttoning that he froze. He was going to be raped again.

"Remember Blaine, you said it yourself, you deserve whatever punishment I deem fit. The belt was only the first of your two part punishment, now here's the second part. Perhaps you'll learn to not look at this part as a punishment, but as _pleasure_."

Blaine didn't have time for any sort of response before Dave was inside of him once again, thrusting. All of the pain from last night came rushing back; the feeling of everything being torn apart physically and mentally. Karofsky didn't even bother being any more gentle than he was the first time. He thrust with the same hunger and ferocity as if Blaine had done this countless times. The pain was unimaginable.

He felt his mind shut off. To have to go through this once was bad enough; to have it happen twice was the breaking point. Blaine had gone completely numb. He was nothing. Broken.

Dave was lost in the bliss of being inside Blaine; to him, it felt like home. He couldn't wait until Blaine started to reciprocate the feeling and find the pleasure in all of it. This really wasn't meant to be a punishment, but he would take what he could get until he could make Blaine see it his way. He had all the time in the world for that. He could feel himself racing towards climax as he mentally thanked Blaine for how good he made him feel.

"David? Son, I'm back early from my trip. You down in the basement?"

Dave felt his stomach drop. NO! His father couldn't be back already! He hadn't given any time to think about what he was going to do with Blaine once his father got back. He kept putting it off because he always figured there was another time to figure it out. He had become lost in all of his thoughts about Blaine that he never got to thinking about what he planned to do. Fuck, what was he going to do?

"Shit!" Dave exclaimed in a hushed tone as he pulled out of Blaine. "Yeah, Dad, I'll be right up!"

Blaine couldn't help it, this was his one chance. He didn't know if Dave's dad was truly in on all of this, but what did he have to lose? He screamed. God help him, he screamed as loud as he could.

Dave threw himself onto Blaine and threw one hand over his mouth and the other to his throat. He could feel Dave's heart beat racing against his back.

"David, is everything OK in there? What was that scream?" Mr. Karofsky called out in alarm as he began to turn the door handle.

"It was nothing, dad!" Dave called back. "I'm just watching a movie! I had it up really loud and I'm not dressed! I'll be right up, OK?"

The handle stopped turning and Dave let out a breath of relief.

"OK, tell you what, I'm going to grab a quick shower, then I've decided that in honor of my being back early we'll go out for dinner. How's that sound?"

"Sounds awesome!"

Once he could hear his father's footsteps retreat from the door, Dave could breath again. That was close. Too close. There was no way he was going to be able to keep Blaine here. It was way too risky. He turned Blaine around to face him. The smaller boy looked as frightened as he'd ever seen him. His wide hazel eyes were filled with tears and looked as if he was waiting for Dave to murder him for screaming. He might be pissed, but he could never kill Blaine. He loved the boy too much, he couldn't possibly live without him.

He reached over to grab the roll of duct tape that had been unceremoniously dropped the the floor at some point the night prior and ripped off a generous piece with his teeth. He took his hand off Blaine's mouth and immediately pressed the tape to his lips. Now that he had Blaine secured, he needed to deal with the rest of the clean up. He he sprinted over to the sink to grab a rag and start to scrub at the puddles of blood on the floor. He scrubbed at a velocity that could put Cinderella herself to shame. He had virtually no time to think so all he could do was remove all the evidence as quickly as he could.

Once he got all the blood cleaned up, he only had one matter at hand to deal with: whatever he planned to do with Blaine. He threw the rag in the trash and came back to the boy curled up on the floor. He hastily pulled Blaine's jeans back up and then he turned him around roughly to face him.

"You have no idea how much trouble you're in for that act you just pulled. You're so very lucky that my dad bought it. I'm going to make you wish that you'd never done that. Unfortunately, my dad came back sooner than he was supposed to, so I can't teach you that lesson right now. I also can't risk keeping you here and alerting my father in some way. I'll never be able to explain why I have such an insanely hot piece of ass tied up in my closet. It would be far less of a risk to just set you free."

Blaine could hardly believe what he was being told. Karofsky was just going to let him go? That didn't make any sense. It was as if Dave could read his expression as he quickly answered. " Yes, I'm going to let you go _for now. _You can go see your precious Kurt and see all of your friends but there's one little catch. You will tell no one about this. _No one_. I swear on life itself, Blaine. If you tell _any_ living soul about this, I won't just come after you. I'll come after Kurt and what you've been through here will seem like a Sunday in the park compared to what I'll do to him. I will wear his liver like a fucking necklace. Do you understand me? I will rip Hummel apart, then I'll do the same to you and this time I won't hold back one fucking bit, you got it?"

He didn't speak, he just stared at Dave. He couldn't form any words. He had lost all willingness to speak. There was nothing more to say.

Dave untied the ropes around Blaine's ankles, and then he quickly untied the ones around his wrists.

"If I had any choice in the matter, I would never let you go but I can't risk my dad finding you here. So this is a temporary fix to a permanent situation. You still belong to me and believe me, I'll take back what's mine as soon as I figure out a way how. You'll be free until that time as long as you keep your fucking mouth shut."

Blaine got up slowly as to not agitate his already pained body and tried with shaking hands to re-buckle his belt. Dave really must have been in a rush, because he came over and quickly did it for him. He grabbed Blaine's upper arm and dragged him up the stairs to the basement door…to freedom. He wrenched open the door, stopping to make sure his dad wasn't still lurking about before he pulled Blaine behind him towards the front door.

"Remember what I said. You say one word. Just _one word_ and I…will…kill…Kurt. Then I'll come after you; make no mistake of it because I'll do it. Are we clear?"

Terrified, Blaine nodded. He was frightened beyond belief and didn't even think he could find the words to express it. He hadn't even thought of the repercussions of it when he had screamed to alert Mr. Karofsky. He wouldn't tell anyone, he couldn't. To tell anyone about what occurred here meant that he had to admit to the shame. He wouldn't tell a soul so that he didn't have to relive all this pain again with people judging him. That was only going to make all of this worse. This way he only had to relive it on his own; in his own mind. Plus, Kurt's life depended on it. To hell with his own life, even if Kurt has moved on, he couldn't let anyone lay a hand on Kurt, ever. By the time he'd even be able to admit to it, there'd be no evidence against Dave. As soon as he got rid of Blaine, he was sure that he'd be back down in that basement clearing up any additional evidence of his captivity. Once there was no evidence, it was just his word against Dave's...and if the police or whoever couldn't find anything to hold him, then Dave could make good on his promise. There was no winning, all Blaine could do was keep his mouth shut until he was inevitably in Dave's custody again.

Dave shut the door behind him and Blaine surprisingly hadn't moved from the top of the steps leading to the front door. He was free for now…but how free was he really? Everything was gone. All the joy, all the pride, everything that he had accomplished was gone; it was stripped away and he was nothing. He also had nowhere to go. How could he just go home now? What would he say? He couldn't even look his mother in the eye after what happened. How was he going to look _anyone_ in the eye? He felt so dirty and ashamed, how was no one else going to be able to see it.

He decided that even if he had a modicum of self preservation, he had to get the hell away from the Karofsky house. So he just walked. He couldn't run, he was in far too much pain so he continued to walk with no real direction. All he could do was put as much distance between himself and the Karofsky house with no real destination. He wasn't even sure where he was. He didn't spend a lot of time learning the layout of Lima before he had been taken. He knew where some things were: Kurt's house, McKinley Highschool, The Lima Bean...but not much more.

He had been walking for what seemed like hours when a pair of headlights appeared behind him. So much for freedom. Karofsky must have had a change of heart and was already coming to take him back. He was going to try to make a break for it when the car came to a halt next to him.

"Blaine? Blaine Anderson?"

It wasn't Dave. He looked over in fear to see who the hell else would know his name since it was a voice that he didn't recognize. The first thing he saw were the words "_Lima Police Department_" on the side of the car.

Blaine's heart stopped. They'd been looking for him? How else could they know his name?

The two cops got out of their car: the first was a man probably in his late 30's with dark circles under his eyes, the other was a younger well-dressed blond woman.

"Blaine, I'm Officer Burke, this is Officer Lindlowe, we've been looking for you for quite some time now."

Blaine stood wide-eyed. He couldn't speak, he didn't know what to say, he was like a deer caught in the headlights. He had had no contact with anyone other than Dave or Azimio for the past few weeks and he didn't know how to handle speaking to anyone else. What the hell was he supposed to say? The cops gaze on him felt as if they could see everything. What if they could? What if they knew what had been done to him? He couldn't…he just couldn't. The humiliation of how dirty he was caused him to start to panic. He started to hyperventilate.

"He's injured, we need to get an ambulance, Lindlowe," Burke said to the lady causing her to run back to the car to grab the radio.

Burke began to talk to Blaine further, but it all became a blur of noise; it was all too much for Blaine to handle. Everything went black.

* * *

><p>Yay, Blaine is free, but how free is free? I'm hoping you guys don't hate me because Blaine is now…broken. =( We're so not even close to done yet, guys. We've got a long road ahead of us here. Blaine's got a long journey. I still have so many, many plans. It was probably a bit unpredictable for Dave to just let him go, but in a panic, Dave's not too smart and he hadn't really planned on what he was going to do with Blaine once his father did come back from his trip. Also, Blaine's messed up badly…do I maybe sense a Blaine and Kurt reunion coming on? Maybe so. Reviews will definitely make that a possibility! =D Hope you enjoyed it, guys!<p>

-Casey


	8. Lost and Found

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween. =D We're heading to my favorite time of year, Christmas season! Can't wait! Also, Glee is off hiatus, I'm so happy and am eager for next week's episode. ^.^ So, those reviews? Spectacular! You guys never cease to amaze the hell out of me. I think we're all a tad ready for chapter 8, whaddya say? ;D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**tranghana – I know, I'm so sad that Blaine is so broken and Karofsky and Azimio deserve any punishment that comes their way. .**

**no1hpfan – I agree! Blaine needs Kurt to help him get through this. =(**

**klainediva – I know, poor Blaine. =( Blaine is so messed up, who knows what he'll say or won't say. I know we're all anxious to find out!**

**orangepurpledinsoaur – It is very sad, indeed. I'm so glad that you like it!**

**GLEEKfreak101 – I'm very happy that he's free (sort of) too! I'm sensing everyone wants a Kurt and Blaine reunion. Lol.**

**Khemikle Disaster – I hate this fictional Karofsky as well, but I'm so glad you like the story!**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – Haha, it's like you know me well. Lol. We're in for a quite a ride with this. Blaine's recovery process is going to be quite the roller coaster. ;P Thank you so much! Hearing that you like it warms my heart. =)**

**AnatomyFreak – I'm sensing you might just want a reunion for Kurt and Blaine, and you just may get that wish. =D**

**gleek101Obsessed – I'm glad that he's free, too! He definitely needs Kurt in his life, especially now.**

**ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord – I know, I'm having those Klaine withdrawals too!...and it's my own story! Lol!**

**AisforAwesome – I know, I am very, very cruel. Glad to know that I got you hooked, though! ;D**

**Klaine Lover – I definitely wouldn't want to be Azimio or Karofsky with you on the loose! Haha! You make me laugh. =)**

**angel-hime96 – I am notorious for my cliffhangers. ^.^ I haven't done them as much in this story as I normally do in my other ones, and to tell you the truth, I am way more dedicated to updates on this story than I have been with other stories in the past. ;P Authors love their cliffies. Lol. I'm glad to have hooked ya!**

**GreggoAddict – Well thank you, I'm glad it wasn't what you expected. ;D Yeah, Blaine is in a very dark place at the current time. =(**

**WiseGirl747 – We definitely do need a Klaine reunion, don't we? ;D**

**LunaLongbottom – Yes, as a Halloween treat, Blaine is free! Lol. I'm glad you don't hate me and now I feel like I have to make this reunion something amazing. Lol. The pressure is on! ;D**

**TheMysticalFreak – I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you so much!**

**Words will not express my gratitude as usual, guys! Thank you for those wonderful reviews. From all these reviews I gathered one thing…a Klaine reunion is desired…hmm, the question now is…will there be one? DUN DUN DUN! -.^**

Chapter 8. "Lost and Found"

"Seriously, I don't care what the square root of x(y)+2/3+whatever the hell is," Kurt muttered, dropping his pencil on top of his math homework in frustration. He began to rub at his eyes attempting to release the fatigue from them.

Kurt and Finn were sitting on their beds in their room attempting to get some homework done after dinner had been prepared, consumed, and cleaned up after. Carole and Burt decided to watch a movie upstairs after insisting that the boys go down to their room to attempt to get some homework done.

Finn looked over at his step brother, sympathy evident in his eyes. Kurt was going through a lot: Blaine was still missing, yet he was still expected to figure out stupid math equations that had no point _and_ was expected to bright and cheery through it all?

"Screw it, dude. You're tired; maybe you should call it a night?" Finn suggested.

Kurt sighed and picked up his pencil from where he had discarded it. "Thanks Finn, but we both know that I can't just show up for math tomorrow without having done the homework."

Finn sighed. "I guess you're right, but it just doesn't seem fair, given all that you're going through-"

"I've come to find that life _isn't_ very fair to me. I can hardly see straight half the time, yet everyone carries on, neglectful of the fact that so much is-" Kurt cut his rant off with a deep sigh. He couldn't focus on this. He needed something…anything to take his mind off of Blaine. He considered attempting to change the subject but Finn spoke too soon.

"I know you've been trying to stay positive but I get the feeling that you're losing hope on Blaine…if it were Rachel…I don't know when I'd give up hope or if I ever could…"

"That sounds like a drearier version of my actual thoughts. I've been trying to remain positive, Finn, I have. But as each day goes by, I just…I start to lose hope that I'll ever see Blaine again. I mean, who the hell would want to take such a good person and do god knows what to him? The thing that keeps me awake at night is that I have absolutely no idea of what's become of him…if he's safe…or, or, if he's lying dead in a ditch somewhere. I don't even have a clue!"

By this point, Kurt was sobbing and he was beginning to not even make sense. Finn, even though he strives to protect his 'manliness', walked over to Kurt's bed and captured his step brother in a hug. Kurt cried into his shoulder feeling bad that he had broken down yet again and was probably soaking Finn's letterman's jacket. Finn didn't seem bothered and continued to hug him. To be honest, Kurt was sick of crying. Crying was solving nothing. All it was doing was making him look weak and pathetic.

"I…I don't want to know sometimes, but I do. I just need to see him again. I don't know what I'll do if I never get that chance again," Kurt sobbed softly.

"I really hope you do get that chance again, Kurt, I really do. Neither of you deserve this, I mean, we don't know what's happened to Blaine but he certainly didn't deserve to be taken away from you…"

Kurt didn't know what else to say, so he just nodded and pulled away from the embrace. Finn stood up as Kurt wiped at his eyes and let out a small chuckle of embarrassment.

"Sorry to have cried all over you, I hope I didn't ruin your jacket."

"The jacket's fine. You, however; aren't."

Kurt was touched by Finn's kindness. He loved that jacket; to let Kurt cry all over it and be more worried about Kurt than the jacket was heartwarming.

"I've got to get back to this math…unfortunately it's like a desperate prostitute and it begs for me to do it…"

After Kurt's small attempt at a joke, they went back to doing their homework in silence. Kurt had luckily gotten through a couple of the trickier math problems and was almost becoming successfully distracted with the inane equations that was until there was a rather loud and urgent knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Finn called out as an invitation.

The door opened revealing a rather somber and anxious looking Burt who came equipped with a phone clutched tightly in his hand.

"Dad…?" Kurt inquired nervously as he stood up slowly from the bed. "Is everything OK? Wait, is that my phone?"

"You left your phone upstairs. It just rang and when I saw who it was, I picked it up…here, she wants to talk to you," He replied, handing the phone over to his son.

Kurt took the phone and placed it to his ear, anxious about whoever was on the other end.

"Kurt?" The voice asked.

"Mrs. Anderson?"

Kurt felt like all the air had been punched out of his stomach. He could feel his heart begin to race. Was this about Blaine? Did they find him…was he…dead?

"I'm sorry to call so late, but they...they found Blaine."

Kurt had to wait for more information before he could let out a breath of relief.

"Is he…"

"He's alive, honey but I'd prefer it if you could come down to Lima Memorial to talk with me face to face. I really don't want to say it over the phone. Could you…"

"I live ten minutes from that hospital, I'll be right there."

Kurt hung up the phone and dashed over to his closet to find a jacket to throw on.

"Kurt, where's the fire? What have they found out?" Burt asked as he watched his son dash around collecting various things.

"Blaine's alive…he's at the hospital. Mrs. Anderson didn't tell me much, she said she'd rather tell me when I got there but I have to go now," Kurt said in a rush as he tried to control the queasiness in his stomach. Blaine was alive. That much had Kurt relieved and elated without question but the way Mrs. Anderson spoke told him there was more…plus Blaine was in the hospital, which wasn't a great sign of things.

"Let me drive you, Kurt," Burt insisted as he followed Kurt who sprinted up the stairs fumbling with his keys trying to find the one to his car.

"I have to go now," Kurt stated urgently.

"And you are in no condition to drive. We can leave now but I'm driving, Kurt; no if's and's or but's.

Kurt took in his dad's firm demeanor and calmed down a notch. He was so happy to have his dad be there for him like he was.

Once Kurt agreed and no additional time was wasted, they headed for the hospital.

* * *

><p>Kurt practically flew through the doors of the hospital, desperate to get to Blaine. He ran up to the front desk, resulting in the front desk clerk jumping at his sudden arrival.<p>

"Blaine Anderson," was all Kurt said through bated breath.

The woman typed at the computer to retrieve the information and looked up at him through her large rounded spectacles.

"Blaine Anderson was admitted an hour ago. The doctor is currently only letting family in at this time but you'll find them on the third floor outside room 213."

Kurt offered a rushed thank you as he walked briskly towards the elevator. Burt successfully managed to keep up with his son and pushed the button marked for the third floor.

"Kurt, no matter what you hear, just remember that Blaine might be a little messed up from whatever he went through. We don't know what to expect but just keep in mind-"

"I understand, dad." Kurt answered, cutting him off. "At this point, I'm just relieved that Blaine's alive. The rest I haven't even considered yet. My brain hasn't processed that much."

Burt placed his hands on his son's shoulders and gave them a squeeze.

"You're strong Kurt, so is Blaine. I'm sure whatever it is, you'll help him get through it."

Kurt gave his dad an appreciative smile as the elevator opened up to the waiting room.

"Kurt, it's wonderful to see you, sweetie," Mrs. Anderson came straight to Kurt as he was stepping out of the elevator and pulled him into a tight motherly hug. Behind her stood Mr. Anderson looking a bit tense, but an expression of fatherly worry plagued his face at the same time.

Kurt had finally been able to meet Blaine's parents over the summer, Mrs. Anderson was very accepting of Kurt right away, but Mr. Anderson took a bit of additional time. He knew his son was gay, but due to the fact that Blaine never had a boyfriend, he hadn't really accepted the fact yet. As time wore on, Mr. Anderson grew to like Kurt and his knowledge of cars from his dad. Whilst he wasn't wild on the idea of Blaine and Kurt dating, he approved of Kurt all the same. _"If my son chooses to be with a man, I'm glad that that man is you, Kurt. You really seem to care for my son and for that, I couldn't ask more of anyone: male or female"_ was the speech Kurt was given somewhere in mid-August from Mr. Anderson. Kurt remembered being so proud of that moment and the fact that Blaine's parents accepted him.

"Long time no see, Kurt," Mr. Anderson offered as a greeting and extended his hand. Kurt took his hand but instead of shaking it, he held it. Mr. Anderson smiled slightly at the gesture causing wrinkles to form around his eyes. It was uncanny how much Blaine looked like his father right down to the style of hair. Blaine took after his mother in height and he definitely got his eyes from her.

"How is he?" Kurt asked, his eyes darting between the two Anderson's.

"Here, honey, let's go sit over there and I'll explain everything," Mrs. Anderson interjected and placed her arm comfortingly around Kurt to lead him over to the chairs. They sat down and Kurt waited for Mrs. Anderson to prepare herself to explain what was happening with her son. She took a deep breath and began.

"They found him a little after 7:30 tonight just walking down the road. The officers stopped because they noticed him walking more like…like a zombie than anything. They assumed he might have been some drunk teenager but when they slowed down, they recognized him from the photographs and stopped to talk to him," Mrs. Anderson wiped a few tears away with the tissue she had been holding before she continued.

"They called his name and the officers told us that…the expression on his face was one of…just _fear_. They couldn't determine what he was afraid of before he passed out right in front of them. They called an ambulance and brought him here."

Kurt stared wide eyed at Mrs. Anderson as she continued to wipe at her tears and took a deep shuddering breath.

"Have—have you seen him yet?" Kurt asked hesitantly.

"Yes honey, we have been in to see him. He's still unconscious but…this is the part that I was afraid to get to," She began. "He was found severely beaten. He—he has…" Mrs. Anderson's tears got the best of her and she hid her face into Mr. Anderson's chest before she could finish her sentence. So Mr. Anderson chimed in from where she left off.

"He has several cuts and bruises on his face, one particularly bad on his lip; it was practically split through, so it's requiring stitches. He has a black eye; multiple lacerations in several different areas. The ones that were particularly hard to take in were the burns and welts-"

"Burns…and welts?" Kurt interrupted, feeling his stomach twist. Burt grabbed Kurt's hand and held it tightly.

"Blaine has a burn on each arm from what the doctor determines to be from cigarettes. The welts they found were on his back, they appear to be from a belt and the sickest part is they found similar welts and bruising on his…um, rear end," Mr. Anderson attempted to explain as straight as he could, but Kurt could tell that he was still trying to take in all this information himself.

"That's—that's not even the worst part," Mrs. Anderson spoke up through sobs as she unburied herself from Mr. Anderson's chest. "They performed a test after they discovered the bruising on his backside and thought it would be essential to check if-"

Kurt didn't want to hear the answer to this. He knew where she was going with it and he didn't know if he could handle the information she was about to divulge. He practically willed himself to tune it out. Unfortunately, he didn't try hard enough.

"….the rape test came back positive…" Mrs. Anderson concluded before sobbing again into her tissue.

Kurt felt his world shatter. He didn't know what to do with the information he just received. Someone had abused and raped the love of his life for three weeks. How was Blaine ever going to come back from that? Who even knew what state he was in mentally? Kurt longed to just run into Blaine's room, hold him in his arms and promise him that he would never let him go or allow him to be hurt again. He knew he couldn't do that. Blaine was probably in a very fragile state of mind and was going to have to take it slowly. It pained him as he looked at the door knowing Blaine was just on the other side of it.

Mr. Anderson noticed Kurt staring longingly at the door and he spoke up.

"Would you like to see him?"

Kurt felt his world light up at the question but remained unsure.

"More than anything in the world but only if it's acceptable for me to do so. I-I don't want to mess anything up further."

"Nonsense, we'll all go back in together."

They made their way towards the door where they met a nurse who let them through. Another doctor and nurse were finishing up in Blaine's room as they entered. That's when Kurt saw him and whatever he thought he was prepared for-he wasn't.

Blaine was a mess. The cuts and bruises that Mr. Anderson had mentioned were there as he had said, his arms were bandaged, obviously hiding the burns underneath. His dark hair was dirty, ungelled, and matted down to his forehead. The skin underneath his eyes held dark circles but it was hard to tell with the enormous black eye. Kurt's heart shattered. Who could ever have the heart to do this to someone as perfect as Blaine?

Kurt could feel tears rolling down his face. It tore him apart to see Blaine like this; however, underneath all the bruises and cuts, he was still his Blaine.

* * *

><p>Blaine felt the darkness begin to slip away. He didn't want to enter the realm of consciousness again in fear of what might be in store for him when he awoke. He didn't want to spend another minute tied up in this closet, dreading what was going to happen when Karofsky got back. He just wanted to stay in this peaceful oblivion where nothing bad could happen to him. He longed for Kurt to hold him and tell him everything would be all right again and that they wouldn't be apart any longer. Alas, he was never going to get out of here and he had to learn to accept that.<p>

"Doctor Knight, they're coming back in to see him."

_Wait, what?_

"Thank you, Marie. We can give them some space now. I finished the stitches and it's up to Blaine to wake up now."

Footsteps sounded and then there was silence.

That's when it all came back to him. Karofsky had let him go…reluctantly but he had let him go nonetheless. The last thing he remembered was walking until two police officers found him and called out to him. Everything went black after that. This had to be a hospital he was in but it felt as if he were still trapped in that closet or basement being used for whatever Karofsky wanted. He didn't think he would ever escape that place for good. He kept his eyes shut tightly as he heard several pairs of footsteps entering the room.

"My poor baby," Came a voice...it was his mother's.

Blaine's stomach twisted with disgust. Not at his mother, but at himself. No one could see him like this. He was dirty and used for nothing but sex and punishment. He couldn't look anyone in the eye and speak to them about anything. Not again. He couldn't do it. He couldn't find the strength to even form words. He was too afraid to. What if they all decided that he wasn't worth it? What if they decided that he deserved the abuse and punishment after all? His mind couldn't handle it.

"He looks so small lying there," Blaine heard his father say. He sounded very upset, as he should. How could be ever expect to make his father proud, now? He had disgraced the entire Anderson name after all of this. His parents were surely going to kick him out now and probably right after Kurt rightfully dumped him. Where was he supposed to go until Karofsky inevitably came back for him?

"The doctor said he should wake up, soon," He heard his mother explain. "They said it was the shock that caused him to faint. The medication is what's keeping him asleep. The doctors didn't want to risk him waking up while they were doing their examinations."

Blaine really didn't like being talked about as if he couldn't hear them, which was his own fault since he was the one pretending to be asleep. HE slowly opened his eyes after what seemed like an eternity. He was afraid to, but he couldn't pretend to be asleep and eavesdrop forever. If he was going to be deemed not worth it, he might as well accept it now. He immediately flinched at the bright florescent lighting and blinked rapidly to get his eyes to adjust.

"Blaine, son?"

Apparently Mr. Anderson was the first to notice Blaine's eyes opening and soon all eyes on the room fell on him.

"Is he awake?" Asked Mrs. Anderson. She came closer to Blaine's bed and made eye contact with him.

No, no he couldn't handle this. He couldn't. He wanted to be brave, but looking into his mother's eyes frightened him. Seeing the love and care in them made him feel extremely undeserving. How could a mother still even possibly care about her filthy damaged son? That's when Blaine saw him. This couldn't be…it couldn't.

Kurt.

No, no! Why was Kurt here? He shouldn't be here. He should be off with someone who was worth it; he couldn't possibly be here for Blaine. Why would he even want him anymore? Used and damaged, how could he expect Kurt to settle for something as trashy as that? No, he had to protect Kurt. Kurt was worth everything and deserved better. He couldn't stop the hammering in his chest as he gazed at the love of his life. He looked perfect. Blaine couldn't believe he had forgotten how perfect he looked.

"Blaine, sweetheart?"

Blaine could feel his heart melt at that voice. Kurt had the voice of an angel; he was soothed instantly and longed to just melt into his love's embrace. . But he couldn't let it happen, he had to protect him. It was then that Karofsky's warning came back to him, _"Remember what I said. You say one word. Just one word and I…will…kill…Kurt. Then I'll come after you."_

To save Kurt, he couldn't speak. Not one word. Kurt's safety was his top priority and it wasn't like he _could _speak anyway. What did he have to say? Nothing.

"Why isn't he speaking? Blaine, honey: it's mom, dad, Kurt, and Mr. Hummel. You're in the hospital sweetie and you're safe," Mrs. Anderson said, reaching a hand out.

Blaine flinched instantly. He practically died when he saw the hurt in his mother's eyes. He didn't mean to flinch but whenever someone reached a hand out, it was to hit him or worse…

"Blaine, can you speak? Just one word, anything…" Mr. Anderson tried.

Silence.

Even if he was worthless, he wouldn't let anyone else get hurt. Talking hurt too much anyway so this was easier. It would save everyone a lot of grief. It'll be like he's not even there. If he was silent, no one would get hurt and he couldn't possibly bother anyone. That meant no punishment. That's when Blaine made his decision. He never wanted to speak again.

* * *

><p><strong>I am the worst! I know. This wasn't the full reunion, we'll have more next chapter but man, I've got to get some sleep! As always, review and let me know your thoughts! Especially if you want a real reunion with just Kurt and Blaine. We'll see if Kurt can't get through to Blaine…maybe? Anyone feeling up to some reviews? ;D I look forward to some input. ;D<br>**

**Thanks as always guys,**

**-Casey**


	9. Reunion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: A lot of amazing reviews came my way, so as a gift to everyone, I wrote the reunion early for you. It's now 4 in the morning and I'm exhausted, so I'm hoping that it's what you all had hoped for! Now, let's get my review shout outs out of the way so you can read Chapter 9!**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**klainediva – Indeed. One can hope that Blaine will soon realize that nothing that happened to him was in his control and he needn't feel the way he does. Karofsky and Azimio definitely deserve a whole wave of bad to go their way.**

**gleek101Obsessed – Blaine is silly and sadly a tad messed up. =( I'm so glad you approve of the writing! =D That definitely made me happy to read!**

**Klaine Lover – As stated prior, Karofsky and Azimio definitely should take heed of your wrath! I definitely wouldn't want to cross you. We'll see what Kurt can't do for our Blaine, hmm?**

**LunaLongbottom – Thank you Luna and I definitely agree!**

**GreggoAddict – Somehow in Blaine's mind he definitely took the word too literal, but I guess it's sort of just one reason as to why he won't talk. Fear and disgust with himself. He definitely needs some help from Kurt, wouldn't you say? ;D So glad that you love seeing my updates. ^.^ I love updating for you guys to hear all the wonderful things you have to say, and you, my fine, Greggo never ever let me down on that. =)**

**GLEEKfreak101 – I really can be the worst, I know. Blaine definitely has to get better. It hurts me to write Blaine so broken. Curse my dumb writing. ;P Lol. Glad you're loving the story all the same!**

**flamealchemist15 – Tis sad, indeed. =( I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter!**

**tomboy2012 – How could I possibly ignore that request to update? Lol. It was in all caps! I just had to update after reading that! Lol. ;D**

**jvmassey – Oooh, I'm glad that it was a surprise to you. ^.^ I'm so glad that you approve and liked the direction it's taken! It definitely means a lot to me. =D**

**irishnotes92 – Oh my, really? I wanted to read it because I have a notorious habit of checking the fics that my reviewers tell me about, but unfortunately I have no clue as to the world of "Big Time Rush." =( I wish you the utmost luck on it. =) I did however check out your fic, "In the Castle" Harry Potter is my life, and you, my dear, did an amazing job on that. =D**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – My goodness, that was one wonderful review! After a review like that, I sincerely hope you're going to like this next chapter! Your awesomeness knows no bounds does it? =D**

**fangirl29 – I am so sad to have left you with nothing to say…perhaps this chapter will make up for it, I hope. =(**

**AnatomyFreak – Sooner than you might think. ;D**

**StarlightFilly - I am definitely a meanie, but I guess the plus side is that I didn't leave ya hanging for too long! =) I'm glad you're excited for the journey of recovery. =)**

**angel-hime96 – I am SO looking forward to 'The First Time'! Like seriously, it looks like it's going to be a killer episode! I don't want you feeling like that while you watch it though! D= So hopefully this chapter will make it better…and if I get another update in here before the episode airs on Tuesday…don't read it in case I do something bad. Lol. I don't wanna ruin the episode for ya!**

**MiaLawrence – Most definitely. =( To never hear Blaine speak or sing again is a crime. Hopefully that may not be the end game. Let us keep our fingers crossed! You are so welcome, I love sharing this story with everyone. I'm thankful to have reviewers like yourself who keep me motivated!**

**The reviews were again, amazing, guys. I can't thank you all enough. See what awesome reviews lead to? Consecutive updates! Plus the right timing. ^.^ Lol! Well without further adieu, I present chapter 9! I hope you all enjoy it!**

Chapter 9."Reunion"

It was a few hours later when Kurt was finally left alone in the hospital room with Blaine. His parents had gone out to get some food and take a break from the hospital. No one had wanted to leave Blaine alone, so Kurt naturally had volunteered to stay behind. Burt had decided to leave Kurt alone with Blaine and go home for the time being with the promise that he'd be back for Kurt as soon as he gave the call. It was nearing 2 in the morning but Kurt wouldn't leave Blaine. He was thankful that the hospital was bending their visiting policies for them, normally this would be unheard of but even they could see that it wasn't a good idea to leave Blaine alone at this time. He needed Kurt and his family right now.

As soon as Blaine's parents had vacated the room, Kurt moved his chair closer to the bedside where Blaine lay currently staring up at the ceiling, still not having said a word. Kurt chewed his lip and wondered how to even go about talking to Blaine. He wanted to just grab him and hold him tight but he knew that wouldn't be wise. Blaine was in a fragile place and he didn't want to make anything worse for his own wishes no matter how much he longed to hold Blaine in his arms. He'd waited so long to be able to hold him again, but it looks as if it would be a lot longer before he could act on his wish.

"I missed you so much, sweetheart, so much that I could hardly focus. It was hard to hold myself together, you know?" Kurt had begun talking. Blaine still stared up at the ceiling looking as if he was trying very hard not to look over but Kurt knew that Blaine was listening.

"I thought of you every day. It killed me that I couldn't see you or know where you were. I was so afraid that I might have lost you," Kurt could feel tears betray him and begin to leak from the corner of his eyes. He hated how often he had to sit in bedside chairs in hospitals and do all the talking. It was becoming too familiar.

He thought about the times with his mom, his dad, and now Blaine. When he saw his mom in the hospital, he was so young and he couldn't really fully comprehend death. The time with his dad, he was unconscious and Kurt never thought he could come back from it. Now here he was again, talking to his boyfriend who was broken physically and mentally but conscious nonetheless. He couldn't stand how helpless he felt. Every single time it felt the same way, but this time felt a bit differently due to the extreme difference in circumstance. Blaine wasn't here because he had a health problem, he'd been taken and tortured by god knows who.

Kurt was completely lost in thought as he acted on instinct as he reached his hand out successfully attaching it to Blaine's which finally gained a reaction from him. He jumped nearly fell out of the bed as he struggled to get away and looked straight over at Kurt with wide fearful eyes. Kurt blinked out of his daze and realized what he had done as he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Blaine had never looked at him like that. He had never seen Blaine afraid before today and to see him as such now as a result of something he did tore his heart to pieces.

Kurt let go of Blaine's hand as if it had shocked him and allowed Blaine a minute to attempt to calm himself down before he spoke.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Kurt stuttered out as he tried to gain control over his racing heart.

Blaine could tell how affected and hurt that Kurt had been by his reaction. He looked angry with himself before glancing back over to Kurt. His look of anger had dissipated into one of extreme apology as he reached out for Kurt's hand.

Kurt hesitated before he took it causing Blaine to grab onto it himself. He looked uncomfortable for a minute before he relaxed as he remembered the feeling of Kurt's touch.

"That's right, honey. It's me. You never have to be afraid," Kurt spoke softly. "I will _never_ hurt you. Never."

Blaine closed his eyes as Kurt's reassurance swelled over him. He seemed to be fighting with himself as he was allowing himself to relax. Kurt felt his heart break as he witnessed Blaine's struggle over his emotions.

"I can't forgive myself for not walking you out that night. This was all my fault. If I had been a better boyfriend to you, none of this ever would have happened. You'd still be safe and happy and everything would be all right. If I hadn't insisted we had that stupid date, you'd be singing and dancing and…you'd smile...and you'd be holding me…and…" Kurt began to really cry. He pulled his hand from the bed where it had been resting dangerously close to Blaine's and brought his hands to his face to hide into them as he cried.

"It should have been me, it really should have been. No one should ever hurt you, Blaine…ever…" Kurt spoke honestly.

He continued to sob until he felt a something; a touch. He lowered his hands a little to see Blaine reaching out and stroking Kurt's arm gently up and down with his nails, calming Kurt down just like he used to do. His eyes held a sad look in them and tears were falling silently down his face.

"Please don't cry, baby," Kurt whispered. He reached out really slowly to show Blaine he meant no harm and gently wiped the tears away from Blaine's eyes. Blaine looked slightly alarmed by the touch but relaxed into it after a moment. "Angels like you should never have to cry. I will never forgive who did this to you. You never deserved to be broken."

Blaine glanced over at Kurt and gazed straight into his eyes. The look that he gave Kurt comforted him, which surprised him immensely. Blaine had been through a traumatic experience, yet just by looking at him with those beautiful tear filled hazel eyes, he could calm Kurt in an instant. He wished more than anything that he could do the same for Blaine who needed it so much more than he did.

"I wish I could make you feel how you make me feel. You make me feel like I'm not even a person, Blaine. It has no bounds and you make me feel as if I can do anything. You've always been strong for me and I can tell that you're really trying to be now, which I _need_ you to do. Your parents need you, your friends need you..._I _need you," Kurt trailed off as he once again felt his tear ducts betray him.

Blaine closed his eyes to stop his own tears from falling. He looked away from Kurt and clung on to his blanket.

"I know you want to talk to me, Blaine. You're just afraid that I'm going to look at you differently, aren't you?" Kurt questioned, causing Blaine to look at him again. He could tell that he might be on the right track with what Blaine was thinking due to his reactions. "Or you feel threatened. Whoever did this can't hurt you now. You're safe and you won't be alone. I will never let anything happen to you ever again. I promise. I'll die before I let that happen."

Blaine looked conflicted as if he were in deep thought over Kurt's words. For a few moments he sat there with a pensive expression as if he was weighing something over in his mind. Then Blaine looked up at Kurt and let his lips part; this was it, he was going to try to speak. Kurt prepared himself for whatever Blaine was going to say to him with a supportive smile; he however wasn't prepared for Blaine to start shaking his head before throwing the blanket over his head, effectively hiding himself. Kurt stared at the scene before him and was trying to decide what to do when he heard small sniffles coming from under the blanket.

"You don't need to hide from me, Blaine. You are just as beautiful as you always were. No matter what happened to you, I will _never_ love you an ounce less. You are my everything, sweetheart; don't you know that? I look at you and you are just so beautiful. You deserve so much better than me, but I'm glad that you don't understand that part because I don't know how I'd ever live without you. You are my air Blaine and I love you."

There were a few moments of silence before Blaine slightly lowered the blanket to just under his eyes. They were sparkling from the tears that still remained. If this were any other circumstance, Kurt would have giggled at how much Blaine looked like a small child hiding under a blanket and pulling it down so you could just see his eyes. But this wasn't that time and Kurt could tell that Blaine was genuinely very afraid. Kurt felt his anger boil, whoever had done this to him was going to pay when they found him. He wasn't sure how yet, but he would make sure they caught the guy if it was the last thing he did. Right now he had to place his entire focus on fixing Blaine before he had room in his being for any revenge plot.

"That first day at Dalton when I stopped you on the stairs was the best moment of my life. It was meant to be that you were the one I called out to. When you turned to me, I felt my heart skip a beat. You were so beautiful that I almost felt my knees give out. You were so kind to me without even knowing me and that moment that you grabbed my hand to lead me to the senior commons? I felt the spark, I knew that I had to get close to you no matter what it took; I fell in love with you instantly.

After you sang Teenage Dream, I melted, Blaine. I had never heard a voice so full of confidence, passion, spirit and beauty. You're still that same Prep School Boy that I fell in love with as I watched you perform. You have that same determination and confidence. Don't let what happened break you, Blaine. You're bigger than your attackers; show them that they _can't_ break you."

Blaine slid the blankets a little further down as he sat up. He took a beat as if he was thinking of something before he started gesturing with his hands. At first Kurt was confused, but then it occurred to him: _sign language. _He had no idea Blaine even knew how to sign, but of course he did. Blaine was extremely smart and was constantly surprising Kurt with new things so it came as little to no surprise.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't know sign language," Kurt admitted causing Blaine to stop signing.

Blaine looked frustrated as he was trying to figure out how he was going to express what he needed to say, but quickly thought of something else. He put his palm out and made a writing gesture on top of it.

Kurt felt a little disappointed as he recognized the request for a pen and paper; Blaine still wasn't going to speak but even if he was going to write it down, it was still talking to him in some form.

He went out into the waiting room to request a pen and paper and was back to Blaine in a flash. He handed over what Blaine asked for and waited patiently. He could tell Blaine's hands were shaking as he tried to hold the pen to the paper. Even writing made him nervous. Kurt looked on with sad eyes as he watched his boyfriend concentrate on writing his words down.

After a few moments, Blaine hesitantly handed the piece of paper over to Kurt who took it gratefully, happy to even read words on a paper because it was still coming from Blaine.

_I wish that I could speak. Hearing you talk to me is something I never thought I might hear again. For all those days, I longed for you. Some of the things that you're saying to me are downright absurd. It is I who doesn't deserve you, Kurt. I'm broken and no good to you anymore. If you knew…you would be disgusted with me. You'd run, as you should. I love you with my entire heart but I can't speak to anyone. Not again. I'm not good enough anymore. I'm sorry._

Tears had fallen from Kurt's eyes as he read the words on the paper. He could see the tear drops smearing the ink as it ran down the page. He looked up at Blaine who was no longer looking back, but focusing on pulling at a loose thread on the blanket.

"You're wrong," Kurt began, causing Blaine's attention to come back to Kurt.

"It's silly, but even in this circumstance, you're still my stubborn Blaine," Kurt chuckled softly at this. "I already told you that I could never love you any less. You could have been taken to Alaska and met an Alaskan Eskimo wizard who turned you into a teeny tiny penguin and I'd still love you all the same. I'd prefer you weren't a penguin, but I could never love you any less," Kurt stated with a sad smile.

Blaine's mouth twitched as if he was going to smile but thought better of it.

"I wish I could see your smile, it really does light up a room," Kurt sighed as he clung on to the paper. The only words he had from his boyfriend in weeks.

Blaine focused his attention back to the loose thread on the blanket. Kurt sighed and closed his eyes.

"I swear, I'm going to find who did this to you and kill them," Kurt muttered. He was brought out of his daze by snapping. He opened his eyes to see Blaine snapping at him and gesturing towards the paper wildly.

Confused and surprised, Kurt handed the paper back over where Blaine began to frantically write underneath his previous words. He handed the paper back to Kurt, which he took and began to read.

_Don't. You will get hurt and I will never forgive myself. They will hurt you. Part of why I can't speak is to keep you safe. You're the most important thing to me; please just forget about this whole thing and me. Then you won't get hurt. You'll be safe. That's all that matters._

Kurt felt his cheeks flush in anger at the words he just read.

"Part of the reason you won't speak is to keep me safe?" He read aloud, looking at Blaine.

Blaine stared at him silently telling him through his sorrow filled eyes that he truly meant what he wrote.

"I can't forget about you, Blaine. You're all I ever think about…I love you too much," Kurt responded, his voice shaking. "You don't need to protect me, Blaine. You've done that enough already. You were strong enough for the both of us when I couldn't be strong enough for myself. Please give me the chance to be that for you."

Blaine glanced back down, sadly. Kurt could tell he wanted to speak to Kurt so badly, but he just wouldn't let himself. Even the writing he was doing was a stretch for him.

"You don't need to hurt alone, Blaine. It's time that I was there for you like you were for me. I can be strong now for both of us. You taught me courage, remember?"

Blaine glanced back over at Kurt and slowly reached his hand out for Kurt's, which Kurt didn't hesitate to grab. He held it tightly in his own and whispered softly to Blaine.

"I will fix you. If it's the last thing I ever do, Blaine. I will be strong for you and help you through this. I will do whatever it takes to make you smile again. That's my promise to you. Whatever will make you happy again, I will do it. I won't leave you to suffer in that darkness alone."

Blaine gestured for the paper again with his free hand and Kurt released his other hand so Blaine could once again write him a message. Before long, he handed the paper back over to Kurt.

_Only one thing makes me truly happy in this world and that's you, Kurt. I know what I said before but I can't be without you…I realize I'm putting you at heavy risk, but I don't know how to let you go. I'm selfish, Kurt. If they hurt you, it's my fault. But I love you too much and I'm weak and disgusting. Please don't leave me._

Kurt raised his eyes from the note and once again took Blaine's hand in his own.

"You, Blaine Anderson are the most beautiful creature on the planet. No matter what you believe, all I see is my beautiful Blaine just a little lost. I will help you find yourself again and I will never leave you, do you understand me? I will keep you safe like you deserve to be. You are worth all my love and more. Never forget how much you mean to me. Nothing you do in this world can ever make me love you less. You will _always_ be perfect in my eyes."

Kurt then leaned in slowly and brought a light kiss to Blaine's forehead.

"Most importantly, I want to hear that beautiful voice of yours again. I can't stand not hearing it; it's killing me," Kurt said, giving Blaine a look.

Blaine wore an expression of guilt on his face as Kurt lightly berated him.

"Don't take it as a negative, sweetheart, I understand you're scared and it will take time,"Kurt assured as he caught Blaine's expression. "We have all the time in the world because I'm not going anywhere. I'm afraid you're stuck with me Blaine Anderson, whether you like it or not. "

It wasn't quite a smile, but it was close. Blaine had finally managed to make an uncomfortable looking grin. It was at least a start on a very long road ahead.

* * *

><p><strong>OK guys, are we feeling a little less mad at Casey? Lol. This story's got quite a bit of a roller coaster ahead, but before that happens, I felt we deserved a sweet chapter. Hopefully it lived up to your expectations. Hmm, and I wonder how I'll know? By reviewing! =D Leave me those reviews and let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Hopefully it was what we all hoped for…before I place you all on this roller coaster I've got going on in my crazy mind. ;D<strong>

**-Casey**


	10. How Much Do You Know?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth**

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks again for those magnificent reviews! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm sorry for this semi-short chapter, but I really wanted to get some kind of an update out to you today, but it's getting quite late and Casey needs her sleep to bring more awesome updates! Also, if we get some good reviews, I might be able to get a longer and more awesome chapter out tomorrow! I don't know, guys…can we make it happen? ;D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**klainediva – I'm glad you liked it! Blaine actually doesn't know how much Kurt and his parents know. He assumes that no one knows…isn't he in for a surprise, huh? =P**

**emmaplodocus – Jeez, I know right? These kinds of stories are so sad, but still, we read and write them. Lol. I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying it! =D**

**flamealchemist15 – I know, very sad indeed. =( Klaine forever! =D**

**tomboy2012 – I'm so happy you thought so! I do try and get updates out as fast as I can. In fact, I feel bad that this update is shorter than my usual ones, but I really, really, really wanted to update, but only had time for a quick one. =(**

**Klaine Lover – Blaine definitely needs your words. He needs that courage to get through this!**

**no1hpfan – Aww, I always get so sad when I hear that I either make people cry or almost cry…lol.**

**Glee-rific-Klaine – He definitely needs a lot of hugs! I also agree, Karofsky deserves a lot of bad things to come his way.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – Oh yes, my fictional Kurt is incredibly cliché and cheesy. Lol. He needs to be or this situation won't work, lol.**

**GreggoAddict – You, I swear…it's like you read my mind with these things. Lol. Definitely some drama to be coming this way. Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – I'm super happy to hear that! =D**

**Khemikle Disaster – Another Casey, huh? Lol. If so, awesome! Our name rocks. Lol.**

**LopeDogg – Awww, *Hugs***

**StarlightFilly – I'm scared if you're going to pick up that pitchfork again after this chapter…lol. I'm sorry to hear that you had such a shit day…but it makes me feel very honored that an update from me made it better. ^.^ I know what you mean about that patience thing! Sometimes I read fics and practically die waiting for an update! Lol. I sometimes wish I had all of it to read like a book! Lol.**

**angel-hime96 – Jeez, I know, right? So many wonderful things came out! Can I just say, I am SUPER excited for Tuesday? I think The First Time is going to be an awesome episode!**

**MiaLawrence – I hope you had a great weekend! Kurt definitely needs to get Blaine to speak, I'm dying not having him speak as well! Damn my mind for coming up with the ideas that it does…lol.**

**tranghana – You know, I never really know the answer to that question…usually I like to write until all the loose ends are tied up or I run out of ideas…or if people lose interest in the story…none of those have happened yet, so I don't really see an end yet. Writing this fic is actually keeping me super happy. I like to write for people. I hope you don't want it to end soon…=( Lol.**

**Many thanks for those reviews guys, they were wonderful. Again, sorry for the short chapter, but like I said, if we give Casey awesome reviews, there just may be another update sooner than you think! ;D**

Chapter 10. "How Much Do You Know?"

_"Didn't I warn you about what would happen if you told Kurt about our love? I told you I was going to come after him, then I'd be back for you; didn't I?"_

_Blaine bolted up in terror from the hospital bed. Karofsky was back; he had found Blaine lying in waiting like a sitting duck. He locked the door behind him and wordlessly approached Blaine. He didn't waste a moment before he reached out and placed a hand tightly around Blaine's throat. He and Azimio had gone after Kurt after Blaine had broken down and finally decided to tell Kurt everything. Kurt was now lying in a hospital bed of his own; the doctors didn't know if he would ever wake from his coma._

_Blaine gasped at the firm hold Karofsky had on his throat as he attempted to choke out a reply._

_"I—I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to say anything…b-but, I c-can't hide a-anything f-f-from Kurt," Blaine had managed to squeak out._

_"Well, baby, it looks like we won't have to worry about that anymore, will we? Azimio and I took good care of your beloved Kurt and it looks like I will have no problem having you all to myself now," Karofsky replied with a grin._

_"P-please," Blaine begged, trying to get Dave to ease up the grip on his throat._

_"I'm sorry, honey, am I hurting you?"_

_"Y-yes."_

_"Good, you deserve it. You deserve to be punished for being such a naughty boy, don't you, Blaine?"_

_Blaine didn't want to respond, he knew the answer Dave was looking for, but he didn't want to say it. He refused to.  
><em>

_"What have we talked about with the silent treatment, Blaine? The punishment just gets worse."_

_"I-I…" Blaine bit his lip, he didn't want to ask for it but what choice did he have? "I d-deserve to b-be punished…"_

_Blaine cringed at his admission of his supposed wrong-doing. He had done nothing wrong; it was Dave who was in the wrong here. Why should he be punished for it? In whose mind did that make sense?_

_"Yes, yes you do, Blainey-Bear and ask and you shall receive," Dave agreed, taking his hand off Blaine's throat and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "Now, I want you to get over my knee…"_

_No. He didn't want that. He had had enough of that._

_"P-please, n-no. Not that…"_

_"You do as you're told, Blaine, or I swear to god, I'll—"_

Blaine woke up with a start, gasping for air. The tight hold on his throat was gone as was the horrifying image of Karofsky; now the hospital room was quiet, bright, and most importantly, vacant. He slowly but surely began to calm down and started to work on regulating his racing heartbeat. He took deep breaths as he wiped the back of his hand against his forehead collecting the light sweat that had formed as a result of the nightmare. Natural light flowed into the dreary hospital room like a beacon of hope as Blaine attempted to collect himself. At least he got through one night's sleep relatively smoothly.

This was the first nightmare he had of Karofsky and truthfully, it terrified him. The longer he was away from him, the more he was getting used to the idea of it. He was sure that he was going to make good on his promise of coming after him again, but what if he also planned to just come after Kurt after all just to scare him as a warning? What did Karofsky even have planned? Was he absolutely sure that Blaine would keep his mouth shut for good? Was he banking on that? Did he have other plans? Blaine was making himself dizzy from all the constant questions.

"Blaine, honey? Are you all right?"

Blaine jumped from the voice that had abruptly broken the silence; he felt his heart rate beginning to rise at an unhealthy pace before he recognized that it was Kurt's voice. The fluorescent lights flickered on allowing more light to flood the room as Kurt entered holding two cups of coffee that read "The Lima Bean" on them. He must have left while Blaine was asleep to go and grab some coffee; after all, Kurt loved his morning coffee. He was thankful that the nurses had let Kurt stay the night, but he also felt a twinge of guilt at the probability that he hadn't slept at all.

Blaine took a deep breath to calm himself down and shook his head in response. He had to stop being so jumpy.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Kurt spoke softly as he took his seat on the chair beside Blaine's bed. "Was it a nightmare?"

Blaine nodded slowly whilst attempting to hide his uneasiness, but he was certain he wasn't fooling Kurt.

"Here, sweetheart, it's your favorite," Kurt stated, handing over one of the cups. "Medium drip."

Blaine attempted to smile fondly at him as he took the steaming cup, gratefully. It probably came out as an uncomfortable looking smirk, but Kurt seemed to understand what he meant by it. He spent a moment just to take in the smell. He felt a sense of instant familiarity sweep over him. It was as if none of the horrible things had happened and he was back at The Lima Bean having coffee with Kurt and gazing into his beautiful blue eyes; back when none of this was their new reality. He longed for that time again when he wasn't worried about Dave or Azimo and just had to worry about what new outfit Kurt was going to try to get him to wear.

He brought the cup to his lips and felt indescribable warmth as the hot liquid came into contact with his throat. A wave of calm swept over him; it was as if he had never tasted the drink before even though he had had it nearly every day for the past few months.

He looked over at Kurt and tried to convey his gratitude through his eyes and took the free hand that wasn't holding his own non-fat mocha.

"I knew that this would cheer you up. Even in a crisis, you love your coffee," Kurt chuckled, taking a sip of his own drink.

There was a moment of silence between them as Kurt seemed to ponder what to say. In the meantime, Blaine sipped his coffee with one hand and gently guided his thumb over Kurt's with his other.

"You know that it's over, right?" Kurt inquired finally breaking the silence.

Blaine glanced over at Kurt with a look of confusion not knowing what he really meant by the question.

"They're not going to hurt you anymore…your attackers. They can't," Kurt replied when he realized his comment must have been confusing.

Blaine wished he could feel that way, but he knew they _could_ still hurt him and what was worse: they planned on it. They also still had it in their power to hurt Kurt but he couldn't convey that message seriously. He had written it down as a warning to Kurt, but he had dismissed it truly believing that it was all over. Blaine wished to the ends of the earth that it were so but it never would be. This was his new reality that he had to accept.

"I wish you would talk to me; just one word...anything. I wouldn't care what it was as long as I could hear your voice. I don't think you understand how miserable it makes me not hearing your voice," Kurt admitted, sadly, gazing down at the floor.

Blaine didn't want to make Kurt sad. It was the last thing he ever wanted. He just wanted to keep him safe and a part of him also didn't want Kurt to know the truth. If he knew how Blaine was no longer innocent or pure, he would be disgusted and leave him. That was something he truly couldn't bear. He gave Kurt's hand a gentle squeeze as if to say, _I'm sorry, I wish I could, but I love you too much to tell you the truth and I love you too much to risk your safety._

"I mean, is this your plan, Blaine? To never speak again?" Kurt asked softly, sounding on the verge of tears.

Blaine hadn't really thought that far ahead. He had said to himself that he never wanted to speak again, but he wasn't really sure for how long. To him, the future was a very dark area. He had no idea if Karofsky would be coming for him that day or the next, so it was hard to determine anything. He also hadn't thought about Kurt finding out what had actually happened to him. He didn't know. He simply didn't know. To him, it was getting through one day to the next; no real long term.

When Blaine didn't answer, Kurt placed his coffee on the bedside table and stood up. He paced over to the wall and just stood there.

Blaine felt his heart fall. He really didn't want to upset Kurt; he hadn't meant to be the one causing him to hurt now, but he really had no choice. When he heard the sniffles coming from his boyfriend, he felt his heart shatter.

Kurt hastily wiped at his eyes before he turned around and made his way back to his chair.

"I'm sorry, honey, I don't mean to be a blubbering idiot around you. It's the last thing you need right now. You need someone to be strong for you, not weak."

Blaine placed his coffee beside Kurt's, grabbed his hands and shook his head frantically attempting to communicate to Kurt that he wasn't weak.

"I _am_ weak, Blaine. While you were gone, I didn't know how I'd stay strong. Without you, I felt like half a person. I didn't know how I was going to make it without you and now I want to hear your voice so bad, it hurts…and I just don't know how to be strong like you. You've always been the strong one. I know this sounds selfish, but it's how I feel. I still look up to you now more than ever. I'm sure if our roles had been reversed, I wouldn't have been able to make it."

Blaine loosened his grip on Kurt's hands slightly and stared silently at him. Kurt talked as if he knew what had happened to him…how much did he know exactly? Blaine felt as if there was less air in the room then there had been before as he struggled to keep his breathing at a normal pace. He felt a slight wave of nausea overcome him as his head began to spin. How much did Kurt know?

"Blaine? Are you OK?"

Blaine shook his head and motioned for the paper: their means of communication. Kurt obliged and handed him the paper as he frantically wrote his message down to Kurt. He handed it to him and grabbed at his blanket with both hands as a means of support.

_How much do you know, exactly…?_

He watched as Kurt read his message and gazed back up from the paper to meet his eyes.

"I know a lot of things, Blaine. Pretty much everything that happened to you, just not who did it," Kurt responded. truthfully.

Kurt knew. Blaine felt sick to the point of death. His fear had taken over as he grasped the blanket tightly. Kurt was going to leave him now that he knew. He was only here to be nice to him before he left him for someone pure. He felt the tears form and spill as he began to hyperventilate. He didn't know what he was going to do without Kurt. Kurt was his lifeline. Even though Karofsky was going to be coming back for him, he didn't want to go knowing that Kurt was disgusted by him. Truth be told, it was Kurt's love that had gotten him through the experience the first time.

Kurt sensed that Blaine had begun to panic and immediately grabbed for his hands that were at the moment clutching the blanket in a death grip.

"Hey, hey, hey. Calm down," Kurt insisted soothingly but firmly whilst shushing Blaine and pulling him into a tight hug.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt tightly, not wanting to let go. What if this was it? The goodbye hug?

"What are you so afraid of, honey? I'm still right here. Calm down and breathe," Kurt instructed as he rocked Blaine gently trying to calm him down, which worked slightly. Blaine felt himself relaxing in Kurt's embrace. This was actually the first hug they shared since he had been back.

"Yes, I do know some things that happened to you but I want you to know that I don't under any circumstance see you any differently."

Blaine pulled away and looked at Kurt with wide eyes. What was he saying?

"You heard me right, Blaine. What happened to you was not your fault. I look at you the same as I always did, only…if it's even possible, I hold even more admiration for you then I did. No one I know would be brave enough to go through that and come back in one piece. Yes, we have a few drawbacks to work on but honey, you're here now and you're safe with me. I've seen you attempt to smile at me and even on that first night back, you calmed me down just by looking at me with that look you do. You're strong, Blaine and you always have been," Kurt explained with tears coming to his eyes.

Blaine had a few tears of his own as he grabbed onto one of Kurt's hands and squeezed it tight.

"So don't worry about losing me over this, you never will. I love you, Blaine," Kurt assured him with a watery smile.

Blaine wanted to say he loved him back, he really did…but he still couldn't find his voice.

"Talk to me, sweetie...I know you can," Kurt encouraged in a whisper.

Blaine took a deep breath and opened his mouth slightly to try and get the words out when a voice interrupted.

"Turns out you were right, Hummel. Your boyfriend is alive and well just like you had hoped."

Karofsky?

* * *

><p><strong>Damn, I am <em>sooo<em> not nice…=/ Blaine was about to try and talk again, too…I guess I'm ready for those angry torches and pitchforks…lol. I did say this was going to be a bit of a roller coaster, right? Roller coasters do have highs and lows…I'm just trying to give you guys excuses not to hate me…lol. Anyway, 'm sorry if it seems a tad short, but it's late and I just wanted to get a quick chapter out to you guys. So please as always let me know what you think! Definitely helps with those updates! Much love to all!**

**-Casey**


	11. A Visit Leads to Suspicion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Breathtaking on the reviews, guys! You never cease to amaze me. ^.^ So, I suppose I'll be posting another chapter as promised. =) Sorry that it's once again posted so late, I got called into work and it deterred my writing causing me to write very late into the night once again…bleh, *sigh* But I still promised! =D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**angel-hime96 – I just saw a new promo for The First Time and I'm seriously dying for this episode! Lol, I think it's going to be really great. ^.^ Yeah, it's sad. I don't hate Karofsky, I used to harbor a huge dislike for him, but near the end of season 2, you couldn't help but feel kind of bad for him and he truly was sorry for chasing Kurt out of McKinley…but hey, if he hadn't done that, we might not have had Klaine! =( So thank you, Karofsky? Lol.**

**Klaine Lover – You need to be Blaine's therapist. Lol. He definitely needs to be strong for himself and for Kurt and everyone and he's getting there, me thinks. ^.^**

**no1hpfan – You and me both! Stupid Karofsky interrupting Klaine time. .**

**klainediva – It's a bit easier now that Blaine realizes that Kurt knows, it definitely takes one thing off his list of fears for sure!**

**MiaLawrence – You are so silly! I love it! Karofsky definitely deserves to be kicked, I'll admit it.**

**N600XL – My goodness! You are still without Glee Season 3 in Germany? You poor thing! I'm glad this is getting you through, but you are sure a hell of a trooper, if I were in Germany right now, I'd be losing my mind! Why the heck does it take so long to premiere there? O_O**

**Frances – You would be correct. Hopefully everyone can be observant enough to spot that Blaine's uncomfortable around Karofsky. I'm so happy to hear your kind words! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! =D**

**Khemikle Disaster – I definitely don't blame you. This fictional Karofsky pisses me off. .**

**flamealchemist15 – I think that's what everyone's hoping for, that Blaine gives everyone a clue. ^.^ I'm so glad you're liking it! =D**

**GreggoAddict – As always, you warm my heart. ^.^ I am definitely evil with those cliffies. -.^ I liked writing the Klaine stuff, it's been so nice to write lovey-dovey stuff rather than the sick twisted stuff! ;P Lol.**

**AisforAwesome – I know, I'm evil. Lol. But hey, at least I promised a nice quick update, right? Lol. He definitely deserves a bitch slap, I agree. =)**

**Kilen – Very happy to hear that you're enjoying it! =D**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – They don't call me Captain Cliffhanger for nothin' lol. I'm so glad that you're reading, your reviews definitely make me smile every time that I read them. *Love!***

**Azaelia67 – Awww, thank you! That's so very sweet! I'm glad you're liking it!**

**StarlightFilly – Well crap…I best keep my eye out for Mr. Pitchy then…lol. Hopefully he doesn't find me before I finish writing this chapter or it shant be posted! =( That'd be awful! Lol. I know, poor Blaine, can't even catch a break. =(**

**tranghana – I'm glad to hear it! I love it when my readers keep coming back for more; it's usually a good sign! Lol. ;D**

**Ok, you guys held up your end of the bargain, so I shall keep mine. ;D Hopefully you guys enjoy some chapter 11ness, and are as stoked as I am for The First Time 3X05, baby! ;D**

Chapter 11. "A Visit Leads to Suspicion"

"Dave, why are you here?" Kurt snapped immediately not hiding his irritation.

Blaine sat completely still in the bed. He inwardly panicked asking himself question after question. _Why is he here? What does he want? Did he come to take me back? Will he hurt Kurt_? The questions were endless. He brought the covers up closer to his chin as Karofsky drew further into the room.

"Just was on my way home from practice when I heard that they found your boyfriend and I assumed you'd be here, so I came to offer my happiness for you," Karofsky stated without taking his eyes off of Kurt.

Apparently Dave was trying to be stealthy by holding a pleasant conversation with Kurt, or so Blaine thought until Dave's eyes wandered hungrily over to him.

"Blaine…that's your name, right? Long time no see; how've you been?" Dave asked with a smile.

Blaine stared wide eyed at Karofsky and kept his mouth shut.

"Hmm, looks like your boy's definitely one for the silent treatment, isn't that right, Kurt?" Dave asked with a chuckle and nudging Kurt as if they were the best of friends.

"He's not feeling very well, Dave. He's been through hell and hasn't really been up to speaking," Kurt tried to explain without going into too much detail.

Blaine continued to watch in alarm as Karofsky talked to Kurt; he half expected Dave to attack Kurt at any given moment. The thought was making him grow increasingly more nervous by the second. He didn't know what he'd do if Dave started to hurt Kurt. Would he yell for help? Would he attempt to tackle Karofsky? He was too afraid to even contemplate the thought of either of those options.

"That's too bad, from what I remember, that boy of yours had quite the voice," Dave responded, eying Blaine with a possessive glint in his eye.

Blaine couldn't get a good read on Karofsky. He was being very friendly with Kurt and pretending to take an interest in where Blaine had been and how he was recovering. He wouldn't suspect a thing other than the fact that as far as Kurt knew, Dave hardly knew Blaine. His interest in all of this made no sense; therefore making him suspicious in Blaine's mind. This faux friendly act that Dave was putting on wasn't fooling Blaine, but of course, he was biased. He could only pray that it was fooling Kurt for the most part.

"Look, Dave, thank you for coming by, but Blaine really needs some time with close friends and family. He's really not up to additional visitors right now. I think it's time you left," Kurt insisted, in a deadly calm voice. Blaine saw the look in Kurt's eyes and it was evident that he was equally as thrown off by Dave's friendly demeanor.

"I just got here, Hummel and Blaine looks like he's fine in his own little world over there; plus, I'm curious to know where he was after all this time. He was worrying you sick," Karofsky stated, taking Kurt's seat next to Blaine's bed.

Blaine stiffened. He didn't want Karofsky anywhere near him. He felt his heart racing as he once again had to attempt to control his breathing. Despite Dave's suspicious behavior, Blaine didn't want to seem too obvious and give off any hints. Kurt's safety was on the line but at the same time, he was frightened to death that his kidnapper was in the very room where he was _supposed_ to be safe.

"So, Blaine, where were you, man? You were worrying Kurt like crazy," Dave addressed Blaine, but of course he couldn't answer, he was especially too frightened to talk as he was also attempting to stop himself from shaking. He caught a glimpse of Dave patting his knee softly like he would do when he ordered Blaine to get over his knee to be spanked. It took everything within him to not respond to the command.

"Blaine, honey?" Kurt asked, noticing Blaine trembling with fear. He rushed over to his boyfriend's bed, sat down next to him and pulled him into his arms. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Are you all right?"

Blaine silently berated himself. He was practically telling Kurt everything without even speaking…how on earth did he expect Kurt to be safe now?

"What's the matter with him?" Dave asked attempting to sound dubious. Blaine could tell it was a lie; hopefully Kurt couldn't.

"He's been through a traumatic experience, Dave, he's scared of practically everyone, so once again, I think it's best if you leave," Kurt reiterated holding Blaine tighter.

"Traumatic experience? You mean, he _was_ taken?" Dave asked.

Blaine could tell that Dave was looking to see if he had told Kurt anything.

"If you must know, yes," Kurt said shortly as he began to rock Blaine back and forth attempting to get him to stop shaking.

"Who did it? Is he OK?" Dave asked, pressing for answers.

"Look, Dave. We don't know who did it. Blaine's too frightened from the experience to even speak. So will you please do me a favor and leave? I'm sorry to be so rude and thank you for checking in on him, but he's in no condition for visitors," Kurt snapped letting his irritation become even more evident.

Dave stood up with a grin plastered on his face. He had gotten the answer he was searching for.

Blaine stayed hidden in Kurt's chest as Dave made his way to the door.

"Well, I guess I'll take my leave, then," Karofsky announced, but before leaving, he doubled back. "You look like you could use a hug after all of this. Want a hug, Kurt?"

Blaine looked away from Kurt's chest in alarm. Why did Karofsky want a hug from Kurt? No good could possibly come from that. What game was Karofsky trying to play? He clung to Kurt's shirt tightly attempting to stop Kurt from even considering getting up and walking into Karofsky's outstretched arms. If he hadn't been practically sewn onto Kurt's shirt at this point, he could sense that Kurt might have considered it. Despite all the things Karofsky had done to him, he always had a soft spot for the jock. Whether Blaine had understood it or not, he always accepted Kurt's view on the matter; until now that is.

Kurt seemed a little put off by the question and motioned to Blaine as an excuse to politely decline. "Sorry, I would but I have a beautiful boy attached to me," He offered in a semi-apologetic tone.

Blaine practically expected Dave to yell or worse, try to pull Kurt away so that he could punish Blaine for Kurt not accepting the hug. Instead, when he glanced over, he saw Dave's mouth was twisted into a haunting grin.

"Rain check, Hummel. Also, I never did get to say how truly happy I am for you. Blaine looks like a keeper, doesn't he?"

"He definitely is," Kurt answered back not even glancing away from Blaine as he ran his fingers softly through Blaine's hair.

"I think I've found someone just like him and he will be mine forever. We've hit a little bump in the road, but soon, I'll have him again," Dave stated in a softer tone. Blaine looked over Kurt's shoulder at Karofsky and caught the message in his words.

"Oh, that's great, Dave. You've finally found someone?" Kurt asked, politely. Kurt seemed like he was actually sort of pleased that Dave had finally found someone after his difficulty with accepting his sexuality. Before all of this, Kurt had kept Blaine in the loop about the progress Dave had been making in the past few months. That was the sole reason that Blaine was OK with Kurt transferring back to McKinley: the fact that Karofsky was no longer a threat to him. All this time, they'd never even fathomed the idea that he could potentially be a threat to Blaine. In what world would that have made sense? There was certainly no way of knowing.

"Oh, I did. He's wonderful. It's really hard to not want to just grab him and run off into the sunset," Dave responded not taking his eyes off of Blaine.

"I'm very happy for you, Dave. I hope it all works out," Kurt said genuinely, finally looking away from Blaine and over at Karofsky. His eyebrows furrowed slightly when he saw the way Dave was looking at Blaine. As soon as Kurt had taken it in, it was gone and he was looking over at Kurt with an innocent smile on his face.

"I'll see you at school, Kurt. Very nice to see you again, Blaine. Don't worry your honey too awful much, you hear me?" Dave called as he vacated the hospital room.

Blaine felt like he could breathe again as Dave departed, but he remained attached to Kurt's shirt. He felt that if he let go, he would disappear and Blaine would find himself back in the basement or the closet.

"Well, good thing that wasn't weird at all," Kurt stated sarcastically as he rubbed soothing circles on Blaine's back. "There was something…I don't know…not right with him. I could be imagining it, I am a little on edge, but something just seemed wrong with him right now."

Blaine didn't want to respond in any way out of fear of giving any signal to Kurt so he shrugged simply and kept his head buried against Kurt's chest as he calmed down to the sound of Kurt's steady heartbeat. He hoped that his reaction hadn't put Kurt at risk in any way; he just couldn't help how he reacted with his kidnapper within touching/grabbing distance.

"Are you all right now, baby?" Kurt inquired, pulling Blaine into an even tighter hug.

Blaine nodded as a response and started to feel his heartbeat regulate itself.

"OK, I'm going to go down the hall for a minute, will you be all right by yourself until I get back?" Kurt asked, pulling away from Blaine and grabbing both of Blaine's hands in his own.

Blaine nodded slowly. He really didn't want Kurt to leave him alone, but he said it would be just for a minute. Plus, Karofsky was gone for now, so he decided to be brave for Kurt and allow him some space for at least a couple of minutes. He earned that. Blaine thought he was lucky enough that Kurt hung around as often as he did with having to deal with Blaine's silence and spacing out.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart," Kurt assured him as he placed a gentle kiss on Blaine's forehead.

Kurt made his way quickly down the hall towards the counter in the waiting room. Lauren, the front desk clerk was stationed at her desk as usual, rooting through her paperwork. Blaine's parents were due back soon and he really wanted to get this out of the way without alarming them.

Burt had let Kurt take the day off of school to be with Blaine, but he had to go back tomorrow and there would be several hours when he wasn't there to watch over Blaine, so he wanted to make sure Blaine was as safe as possible. Blaine's shrug made it seem like Karofsky wasn't really a threat so much as an unfamiliar face and that he might potentially have that reaction with anyone he wasn't very acquainted with. Still, Kurt wanted to be sure and avoid causing Blaine any additional unnecessary stress.

Lauren looked up with her trademark kind smile. "Kurt, what can I do for you, honey?"

Kurt smiled back. "Hi, Lauren, I was going to ask you a quick favor."

"Within reason, I hope," She laughed softly.

"Of course. Did you notice that guy who just came in to see Blaine?" Kurt asked her hoping she knew who he meant.

"Oh, let's see," She started glancing through her paperwork. "I have to keep a record of the visitors, so let's see here…here it is, a David Karofsky?"

"Yes, that's him. I was wondering if the next time he comes in, he not be allowed in. He and Blaine haven't really been the best of friends in the past and Blaine's reaction to seeing him wasn't very pretty," Kurt tried to glide over the reason without giving too much away.

"Oh, that's reasonable, Kurt dear. If a visitor causes a patient discomfort, we aren't supposed to allow them in, so I will put a note here," She replied, writing down her note on the paper.

"Thank you, Lauren. You're wonderful," Kurt said gratefully, gaining a warm smile from Lauren in return.

Kurt felt more at ease as he made his way back towards Blaine's room. He wished he could understand Dave more; at school he was an absolute creep but in the hospital room he was a pretty likeable guy. The way he spoke of Blaine's disappearance at school was cruel and unusual. He kept insinuating that Blaine had to be dead, but then here he was taking an interest in Blaine's well-being and seemed almost concerned. Could it be that he was really _that _afraid of having his sexuality unmasked that he had to proceed with tormenting Kurt daily over Blaine's disappearance? Kurt would never be able to make heads or tails of it.

Another thing was plaguing his mind as he approached the doorway to the room: the very doorway that he'd seen it. It could have been Kurt's imagination, but he couldn't get the way Dave looked at Blaine out of his mind. It had been quick, but Kurt had caught it. That look held so much lust and hunger. He had looked at Blaine like he was a much coveted item…didn't he? The more he thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed. Dave and Blaine didn't interact enough for him to look at Blaine like that, but Kurt just couldn't shake the feeling that he got from it. He couldn't dispute that Blaine was undeniably hot and many guys were going to check him out. That had to be the reason; Dave was a lot of things, but this? He had to put it out of his mind.

He made it back to Blaine's room and walked in to find him burrowed deeply in the covers fast asleep. Kurt smiled to himself and took his seat next to the bed. He looked at Blaine with love filled eyes and reached out to gently stroke Blaine's hair without waking him. He looked so beautiful when he was sleeping; it was also the most peaceful he had looked the entire time he'd been in the hospital.

"I'll help you find your voice again, Blaine. If it's the last thing I ever do. I love you, sweetheart…" With that, Kurt leaned forward on to the bed and rested his head on his hands. He could feel his eyes growing tired and soon enough he fell asleep next to the boy he loved.

* * *

><p><strong>All right, so Karofsky's visit wasn't too pretty, but luckily it ended on a happier sort of note. Kinda sorta. =p Like I said, it's a roller coaster! Lol. Kurt's definitely getting a tad suspicious of Karofsky…and why wouldn't he? Lol. Hopefully you guys enjoyed the chapter and look forward to a new maybe more suspenseful chapter? Reviews will definitely let me know these things. ;D So bring 'em on, guys!<strong>

**Much love as always,**

**-Casey**


	12. The Phone Call

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Authors Note:**

**Dear lord, I am so exhausted after writing this chapter, so I'm going to make this pretty quick. I love The First Time! Best episode of season 3 by way far! I loved everything! I'll leave it spoiler free in case anyone has yet to watch it, but damn was it a great episode! Anyways, I had an opportunity to write, so I thought I'd get another chapter up. As always, I love the reviews! ;D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**candylockwood – My fictional Karofsky is definitely terrible. =( I want to hear Blaine's voice again, too.**

**no1hpfan – You got that straight! Hopefully Kurt will become very suspicious and have a legitimate excuse to really believe it's him eventually. ;D**

**WiseGirl747 – Welcome back! Yeah, Karofsky doesn't have the best timing. .**

**gleek101Obsessed – I agree! We need to get that Karofsky thrown in jail like STAT!**

**flamealchemist15 – Glad you liked the chapter! Kurt definitely needs some more evidence to get more suspicious. Hopefully Karofsky can slip up again, eh?**

**klainediva – I definitely take it as a compliment. ;D Gotta keep the suspense alive! Lol.**

**Klaine Lover – You know, I think there's definitely a total lack of Warblers in here…I'm thinking they might just have to make an appearance. It's been an idea I've been toying with.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – I'm glad to hear I've got you riveted. Lol. ^.^ Means I'm doing my job right. ;D**

**GreggoAddict – I love getting my review alerts in the email, too. ;D Blaine's definitely got to speak soon, huh?**

**Frances – That was one hell of a review! I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of those kind words! I'm speechless!**

**Kilen – I'm glad to hear it! It's awesome to hear that I'm still keeping everyone entertained!**

**MiaLawrence – I write at very late hours, lol. After I get home from work and have done what I need to do, I sit down to write and just write into the late, late hours. Lol. You guys motivate me to do so. ;D My week's been quite a bit hectic. Lots of work, even lost a day off due to work, but I have another coming to me tomorrow, so I get to sleep and be lazy, hurray! Lol. How's your week been? =)**

**Azaelia67 – Aww, if it were that easy, we'd have no story! Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – I love that idea! Ninja Kurt! =D Lol. Thanks for your kind words as always! Much love!**

**angel-hime96 – Tis a bit shocking I suppose. Lol. ^.^**

**Phamy – I'm glad to hear you like it! You know, I think we do have a lack of Kurt being strong stories, so I'm trying to capture that to the best of my ability. You are very sweet, thank you! ;D**

**tomboy2012 – Aww, tis all right. I forgive you. Lol. I'm very glad that you're still here and reading, that's all that matters. ^.^**

**Those reviews were wonderful, guys. Thank you from the bottom of my heart as usual. Hopefully you'll like this next chapter! I constantly have my fingers crossed!**

Chapter 12. "The Phone Call"

Blaine stumbled out of his room dressed in fresh clothes his parents had brought for him and was now silently trailing behind them towards the exit of the hospital. The doctor had finally granted Blaine's release after a week and half stay, provided his parents hired him a therapist. Blaine wasn't wild about the idea; it was a waste of money and if he wouldn't even talk to Kurt or his family, what made his doctor think that he would open up to a complete stranger? He couldn't help but think that it was some kind of ploy to spend his parent's money. The Anderson's were a wealthy family, so it was only natural that a doctor would refer a patient to his therapist friend for more money. Blaine was probably being a little unfair but he couldn't help it.

The past week had been a nightmare. Questions, so many questions had been asked of him by nurses, doctors, and the police. He still hadn't said a word to anyone and he couldn't wrap his mind around the thought that everyone was so clueless as to thinking that he might start answering now. Over and over again the police had been trying to get an answer out of him as to who took him. All he did was shrug even when they prompted him to write his answers down if he wasn't going to speak to them verbally. Why couldn't they understand that he _couldn't_ tell them? The two officers who had found him that night instructed his parents to call them if Blaine remembered anything or started talking again. Fat load of good that was going to get them; Karofsky would be coming back to collect Blaine long before he would ever speak again, _that_ he was sure of.

Mrs. Anderson placed a comforting arm around her son as they walked side by side towards the exit. The waves and verbal goodbyes from the hospital staff had Blaine's stomach in knots. To him, it was like they were saying, _you're still as messed up as ever and even though you're still paralyzed with fear, good luck out there, sport!_ The sudden burst of sunlight as they vacated the hospital had Blaine squinting. He hadn't seen real sunlight in quite some time…not since before he was taken. The curtains in his hospital room had been shut through the majority of his stay, not that he minded. He really liked the dark feeling; darkness was something that he had grown accustomed to. Seeing this burst of sunlight just reminded him of his previous world when none of this had happened.

As they walked down the sidewalk towards hospital parking, he found himself jumping at every sound in the street: people talking on their cell phones, babies crying in their strollers, birds screeching as they flew by...anything and everything had Blaine terrified. Being out in the open again had him fearing that Karofsky or Azimio would just run by and grab him when his parents weren't looking. He clung to his mother's side like a five year old child as they walked to the car, which she didn't seem to mind much as she gently rubbed his shoulder. She could sense how frightened he was; mother's had a great intuition when it came to things like this.

After what seemed like years, they finally made it to the car and Blaine all but flew into the backseat and locked his door without a second's hesitation. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson gave each other a worried glance as they each opened their respective doors. Mrs. Anderson peered over her shoulder to give her son a reassuring smile as Mr. Anderson started the car and they were headed off towards home.

"I'm going to make your favorite dinner tonight, sweetie. Spaghetti with the Italian sausage you like so much," His mother called back from the passenger seat.

Blaine forced a strained smile in response which in turn caused her's to falter.

Pulling up into the driveway, Blaine could hardly recognize his own house. It wasn't that he didn't remember it, it was as if he was seeing it through different eyes. He was after all, a different person since he had been home last. Had he only known what was going to happen the last time he left it, maybe he would have appreciated it more? Blaine tentatively opened the car door and made to go for the trunk where his bag from the hospital was.

"Don't you worry, sweetie, dad's going to get that for you," Mrs. Anderson clarified as she guided her son to the front door.

Being back inside the Anderson Estate again was surreal. Blaine thought looking at it from the outside was different; it was a whole different level being back inside. He slowly made his way up the stairs taking in his surroundings. Home felt like a foreign idea to him. The family portraits aligning the staircase were the same, his massive black grand piano was the same, the 1800's grand chandelier in the entrance way was the same…but he felt more vulnerable than ever. In the hospital he had been safe; here, he felt exposed.

He had been taking his sweet time climbing the stairs since his father had now caught up with him; in one hand he held the bag of his few belongings as he trailed behind. Blaine took small steps as he drew closer to his room; his father sensed that he seemed to be having a difficult time adjusting to the change in scenery, so he continued ahead and made his way into Blaine's room. He clicked on the light for his son and lingered in the doorway patiently.

Blaine finally got to the doorway and looked around. It was still his room. Everything looked the same, only he didn't feel the same in it. He felt like a stranger entering the room that he had lived in for 17 years of his life. Happy, innocent, free-spirited Blaine belonged in this room; not the messed up, damaged, disgusting Blaine. He felt like he was spreading a disease around the room, effectively contaminating every object by his presence. The pictures of him and Kurt he had plastered on the wall mocked him. It was as if they were saying, _who the hell is this dirty broken creature? He doesn't belong here. Don't even think about making yourself at home in here. You don't deserve this room anymore._

"Just the same as always; it's your room, son," Mr. Anderson encouraged not really knowing how to take in Blaine's reaction to it all. He was trying to be as caring as he could be as he watched Blaine take it all in. He was pretty surprised to say the least when Blaine's breathing grew shallow and he increasingly became more distressed. He stood for a moment and then slowly, almost as if he were imitating a zombie made his way to the door of his spacious walk-in closet, pulled it open and stepped inside.

"Blaine, son? What are you doing?" Mr. Anderson asked, utterly bewildered as he followed after Blaine. What he found confused him more than ever.

Blaine was huddled against the wall with his knees tucked into his chest with his arms around them and his head buried. It appeared as if he was trying to make himself smaller than ever so that he couldn't be seen. Mr. Anderson was troubled to see his son acting like this; it made his stomach twist in a horrible way.

"Blaine, is there a reason you're huddled up in your closet?" He asked carefully as he knelt down so that he was at Blaine's eye level. "Talk to me, son."

Blaine kept his head buried as he slowly shook his head.

"Can you please come out?"

Blaine once again shook his head. He didn't deserve to be in that room. Filth like him belonged locked in closets where no one could see them. He needed to get used to it sooner or later. This was his punishment for allowing himself to be so broken.

"For your mother? Will you come out of here for her?"

Blaine shook his head slowly and felt tears begin to form as they dripped towards the floor. He felt so weak. He couldn't even be brave for his own mother. Why his father was trying so hard to get him out had him confused. Didn't his father understand that this was what was meant to be done with him? Didn't he realize that he couldn't have such a disgusting son contaminating the rest of the house? How could they even call him their son anymore?

Mr. Anderson sighed deeply. He didn't know what to do. He decided there was only one thing _to _do. He got up and pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number he had come to know well.

"Kurt? It's Alan. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything. Is school out?" There was a pause as he waited for a response. "Fantastic. I know you were coming by to see Blaine this evening, since we brought him home today. Well I've run into a problem, here. I took Blaine up to his room and he seems to be having some problems adjusting. His breathing became erratic as soon as we got into his room, then he just walked up to his closet and went inside. Now he's just huddled up in there and I can't get him to come out…if you're not too busy, I was wondering if—" He paused as Kurt answered.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, Kurt. He seems to respond to you best, understandably so." Another pause. "Great, we'll see you soon, thank you."

Mr. Anderson sighed, defeated. He felt so useless not being able to help his own son, but that's what Blaine had Kurt for. Blaine was growing up and even in this situation, Kurt had to be the strong influence to help him through what he was going through.

Soon Blaine was left alone which made him relax slightly. He was by no means afraid of his mother or father, but he felt like he was an animal at the zoo and everyone just had to look at him. He felt ashamed by what they must be seeing. It was practically a relief to be alone, at least in this closet which he intended on making his new home.

He wasn't left alone with his thoughts for long, or at least not as long as he had hoped. He heard soft footsteps ascending the stairs that he knew didn't belong to either of his parents. Naturally, it could only be one person.

"Blaine, sweetheart?" Kurt called out as he made his way into Blaine's 'used to be' room. He slowly approached the doorway of the closet and came into Blaine's view. Seeing him resulted in Blaine letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. It probably wasn't healthy for how much he relied on Kurt's presence to calm him, but it was all he had. Kurt took in Blaine's huddled up form, shook his head slightly and knelt down just as Mr. Anderson had done around 45 minutes prior.

"Sweetie, what are you doing in here?" Kurt asked softly, knowing full well he wouldn't get a verbal response.

Blaine looked up from his knees slowly and gazed into Kurt's beautiful deep blue eyes. They were full of concern and ultimately deep seated worry for Blaine.

Blaine decided to respond with an ashamed shrug and dropped his head back onto his knees.

"Honey, we don't spend our time in closets; In fact, you and I frequent our time _out_ of them," Kurt said making a small joke. All of this_ in the closet_ stuff was bound to have a joke sooner or later.

Blaine smirked slightly, mostly for himself since his face was hidden from Kurt's view. Leave it to his beautiful boyfriend to make a silly little joke about it. Kurt was the only one who had been able to make him smile, even if it was just slightly. It made him feel that there still could possibly be hope for him. When Kurt was gone, it was like he was an empty shell. Kurt's very presence was life that Blaine felt as if he was leaching off of. He felt selfish, but he knew that he couldn't survive without it.

Kurt held a hand out to Blaine. "Please honey, will you come out of here for me? You don't belong in here and I'll protect you from whatever is scaring you. You're safe with me, I promise."

Blaine glanced up and blinked at Kurt's extended hand for a few seconds before he tentatively reached out to take it.

Successfully getting Blaine out, Kurt shut the door behind them and pulled him in for a hug that he so desperately needed. Blaine clung onto the back of Kurt's neck tightly as if it were the only thing keeping him from falling over and dying.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore, baby. I've got you," Kurt whispered to Blaine as he gently stroked the back of his hair. He guided him slowly over to his bed so that he could get Blaine to lie down on it which proved to be successful. Kurt sat up beside him as close as he could possibly get.

"You're home, Blaine and nothing's going to hurt you anymore," Kurt reasoned as he gently stroked Blaine's arm. He melted into Kurt's touch. It was simple, but it meant everything.

"How does a nice hot shower before dinner sound?" Kurt suggested. "Wash away all that hospital nastiness and start fresh."

Blaine mulled the idea over in his mind and nodded slowly. A shower did sound nice. He still felt completely disgusting from the hospital-and even though the shower couldn't wash away everything, it still could help in a small way. Kurt puttered about his room and picked out some clothes for Blaine to wear once he was done with his shower; some things never changed. Blaine gratefully took the pile of clothes that were handed to him and allowed Kurt to lead him into the bathroom and start the shower for him.

"I'll be downstairs helping with dinner if you need anything," Kurt said with a smile as he shut the door behind him.

Blaine stood, clothes in both hands as he watched the water run down the shower drain. He didn't know what he'd done in life to deserve Kurt but whatever it was, he was eternally grateful. He smiled slightly to himself as he put the clothes down on the bathroom counter. He peeled his shirt off and went to go for his jeans when he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been avoiding his reflection ever since this ordeal had occurred

Numerous bruises decorated his torso. They had begun to fade from the week stay in the hospital, but they were still there like little badges of reminders. Blaine felt a wave of nausea when he recognized that a couple of them were in the shape of large handprints: Karofsky's hands. He backed into the wall and allowed himself to slide down to the floor. He folded his arms around himself and took a minute to breathe. He wasn't ready to face all of this; the reality was too much. The bruises made all of the memories seem even more real than they had before.

He had accepted it but he really didn't want to go back to Karofsky. He wasn't ready to face the endless terror and abuse again. Careful to avoid his reflection this time, he worked on getting the rest of his clothes off so he could get into the shower. He was thankful for the loud spray of the water as it masked the sound of his sobbing. The tears soon began to mix with the water steadily pouring onto his body as he grabbed for his loofah. He poured body wash onto it and began to scrub everything away: the dirt, the sweat, the tears, the hospital, Karofsky's hands. If he scrubbed hard enough, maybe he could rid himself of the unwanted touch. He scrubbed away until his skin was red and raw, but he still couldn't get the feeling of the hands all over him to wash away. He threw the loofah against the shower wall with an angry cry and grabbed at his hair in frustration. Why couldn't he get that feeling to go away?

He continued to attempt to scrub for a few more minutes, but had to stop when he saw the droplets of red hitting the white tile of the shower. He had started to tear skin and the effort was pointless. After he had collected himself and washed away the blood, he finished his shower and got dressed in the clothes that Kurt had left for him. He snuck another glance at the mirror and faced his reflection again. It was a little easier without having to stare at all of the evidence of his abuse but he still looked awful. His eyes were red and puffy from all of the crying and the dark circles from his lack of sleep remained; he looked like a zombie. He decided to accept his reflection for the time being since he really couldn't look at himself anymore. He opened the door and went downstairs to find Kurt.

* * *

><p>"Well that wasn't too bad, was it?" Kurt stated once they had arrived back into Blaine's room after dinner.<p>

Blaine trailed behind the taller boy staring at the floor completely lost in his thoughts. Kurt was a lot of things but he wasn't a good liar. Dinner had been awkward to say the least. Blaine had many a staring spell as Kurt struggled to make casual conversation with his parents. Every time they had tried to make conversation with Blaine, he would make simple sign language motions or just stare. It was fair to say that dinner wasn't complete with riveting conversation. He had to give Kurt points for effort, though. He could only hope that it got simpler before he was gone again.

Blaine shrugged in response and sat down on the bed wordlessly. He brought his knees to his chest and sat deep in thought as Kurt took a seat next to him.

"It'll get easier, honey. It's only your first night back home; don't be too hard on yourself." Kurt encouraged, rubbing Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine snuggled into the touch, but it didn't make him feel any less awful about making everything harder for Kurt.

Kurt, sensing that Blaine was having an internal struggle, pulled his boyfriend into a warm hug and stroked his hair softly. Blaine's eyes shuttered close as Kurt held him. He felt lulled by his voice and gentle touch and felt like he could fall into a peaceful sleep at any moment, which was something that he was in desperate need of.

"I've got you, sweetie, everything's going to be OK," Kurt whispered, placing a light kiss on the top of his head.

Blaine felt himself relax further and further until he'd almost drifted off, but the sweet moment was interrupted by the vibration coming from Kurt's pocket. Kurt realized it was his cell and he reached into his pocket so that he could check the caller ID. It was an unknown number so he thought about ignoring the call completely but curiosity won out and he picked up.

"Hello?"

_"Let me speak to Blaine,"_ Answered a voice.

The voice sent a shiver through Kurt's spine; it sounded so angry and cruel. Whoever was calling was disguising their voice very well. Kurt didn't recognize it at all. Blaine looked over at his boyfriend and he began to feel uneasy again. The look on Kurt's face told him that the person on the phone wasn't someone he had been expecting.

"Not a chance in the darkest surfaces of hell, who is this?" Kurt demanded.

"_Someone you don't want to mess with. Now let me speak to Blaine if you value your life at all_."

Kurt's eyes widened and he felt his stomach turn, but he wouldn't hand the phone over. Blaine was definitely worried now. Seeing Kurt like this was enough to start his fear anew.

"You can't scare me. You leave him alone, or I swear to god, I'll—"

_"You'll _what_? Throw pixie dust on me and maybe I'll fly away? Keep dreaming. I will ask _one_ more time; give the phone to Blaine if you value his or your life at all_._"_

Kurt bit his lip feeling a slight bit of fear rise in him. He was trying not to show it so that he wouldn't cause Blaine any alarm. He looked over and saw that he had failed. Blaine was sitting up and staring at him in complete alarm and looked ready to practically hide under the bed in fear.

"I won't let you talk to him."

_"You will let me talk to him right now, or I swear that I'll make what I did to him look like a vacation at Disneyland as compared to what I'll do to him now. Now, GIVE BLAINE THE FUCKING PHONE!"_

Kurt sobbed silently at the voice's threat. He was disappointed at the fact that he was letting his fear show. He needed to be strong for Blaine, but he didn't know what to do. He hit the "end" button on the phone in a panic and closed his eyes as he struggled to catch his breath.

Blaine's hands were clenching the comforter tightly as he watched Kurt try to regain his composure. He was wondering who had been on the phone. Was it Karofsky or Azimio? Blaine decided it had to have been; no one else could shake Kurt up this badly. Even when Kurt didn't know who it was, Dave could still have such a powerful effect on him.

They didn't have a lot of time to recover because Kurt's phone went off again. Kurt hit ignore on it hoping that whoever it was would just give up, but that was incredibly wishful thinking. By the time he had repeatedly ignored the phone call five times, he picked it up and practically yelled into the phone.

"Look, what the hell do you want? You already hurt Blaine enough, can't you just leave him the hell alone?"

_"I told you that you didn't want to fuck with me you little fairy boy and you're really starting to piss me off. If you put Blaine on the phone, maybe I won't come after you and take out my anger on that skinny little body of yours._"

Kurt felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn't felt more afraid in his life and it was all over a stupid threat via cell phone.

"How did you get this number?" Kurt asked quietly ignoring the voice's request once again.

_"Not that it's of real great concern, but I got it off my darling Blaine's cell phone before I destroyed it. Don't want no one tracing me now, do I?"_

It made sense. Blaine didn't have his cell phone when he had been found. Kurt felt a bit of hope drop when he heard the phone had been destroyed. He knew for a fact Blaine's phone could have been traced.

"What makes you think we can't trace the phone you're on right now?" Kurt asked defiantly trying to sound a little braver for Blaine's benefit. He could see how uncomfortable and afraid Blaine looked; even underneath those emotions, Kurt could see the concern shining through his eyes. Leave it to Blaine to still show concern above all else in a moment like this.

_"You won't have the time. I cover my tracks; you won't be able to find me. Enough with the friendly chatter let me talk to my Blaine, NOW."_

"No."

_"You're a defiant one aren't you? Blaine was too before I got my hands on him. I trained him to obey and I can do the same to you if you keep me from what's mine."_

"Blaine will never be yours you sick fuck," Kurt spat back even surprising himself with his use of such a vulgar word, but in this situation it had been called for.

_"You play hard, fairy. It's going to get you into a world of trouble. You're going to pay for standing in the way. Blaine is mine and you will regret keeping him from me."_

"Not even remotely. We're going to find you and you will never hurt Blaine again."

Kurt felt another shiver as the voice laughed darkly.

_"I'll find you before you find me, then I'll get what's mine. Since you won't let me speak to him, tell Blaine I said that we'll be seeing each other very soon. I'll be coming to take him home and until then, he better keep that mouth of his shut or he'll be facing a very severe punishment once I get him back…"_

Kurt grit his teeth in revulsion. This person was so very sick. He felt his anger boil when the voice mentioned the part about Blaine keeping his mouth shut.

"It's _your_ fault that he's not talking," Kurt insinuated as the realization dawned on him. "You sick piece of—"

_"Why, of course. I can't have him telling our little secret, plus he's annoyingly self sacrificing. He's keeping you safe by it, so I wouldn't question it. Blaine would do anything to keep his precious Kurt safe and it was the only way he would let me punish him. I trust you understand-"_

Kurt once again hung up the phone and turned it off completely. He was terrified, but he couldn't let Blaine see it any further. Blaine however snuggled closer to him and looked him in the eyes. Kurt could see the true fear in them. He felt his heart shatter as he looked at Blaine. He had been through so much to keep Kurt safe; he'd been through more than he even knew. He stared into the eyes of his boyfriend with deep admiration and awe; Blaine was so brave and strong and it constantly made him question what he'd done to deserve this boy he had snuggled against him.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. We're going to find whoever this is. They won't hurt you, I swear by it. I won't let them, OK?" Kurt assured Blaine as he laid down with his head in Kurt's lap as tears fell from the corners of his eyes. .

Kurt felt completely at a loss. He knew he messed up by letting the voice scare him, now Blaine knew he was afraid. The voice had one thing right, Blaine _was_ self-sacrificing. He would do anything to keep Kurt safe…even be raped and abused over it. Kurt felt tears streaming out of own eyes as he brought a hand up to stifle the sobs. His other hand remained occupied as he let his fingers weave through Blaine's curls.

Even though the voice said it was useless, he was going to have the calls traced. They had to find whoever this was before they got to Blaine again. Kurt was scared for his own well being but more so for Blaine since he was the one the voice wanted.

"I don't suppose," Kurt began clearing his throat from the tears. "You might want to tell me who it is? I know you're not talking to keep me safe, Blaine, but this guy is unpredictable. It would be a hell of a lot easier if you told me."

Blaine rubbed the tears from his eyes as he sat up. He pulled his notebook off the bedside table and began to scribble a message.

Kurt took the notebook from Blaine once he was finished.

_I'm too afraid…I just can't._

"Blaine, I don't want to scare you," Kurt stated as he put the notebook down. "But he isn't going to stop unless you tell me who it is. They'll come after me to get to you. You not talking to me is going to get us both hurt."

Blaine took the notebook back and scrawled another message.

_As long as I keep my mouth shut, he won't hurt you. That's what's important._

Kurt didn't mean to, but his frustration reached a boiling point and spoke a lot harsher than he meant to.

"Dammit, Blaine! Stop it! You're the one who's the target here. He wants you and the only way to get him to stop is if you stop being some self sacrificing martyr and talk to me!"

Blaine looked absolutely paralyzed with fear at Kurt's tone and raised voice. Kurt half expected him to run away or hide, he didn't however expect him to place the notebook down and proceed to crawl over Kurt's lap.

"Blaine...what the hell are you doing?" Kurt asked in complete confusion with his both of his hands raised in the air, unsure of what was going on.

"Punishment."

Kurt was completely shocked. Even if it was a whisper, Blaine had finally said something.

"W-What? Blaine, I-I don't understand," Kurt responded completely taken aback.

"I made you angry, I deserve to be punished," Blaine whispered back.

The sadness in Blaine's voice completely broke Kurt's heart. He had been dying to hear him speak again but when he did, Kurt didn't want anything remotely near the words that were leaving Blaine's mouth. He felt like he was going to throw up from the never ending waves of nausea that kept attacking his stomach.

"Blaine, I'm not…I'm not going to punish you," Kurt stated firmly as he moved to pick Blaine up off his lap but stopped once Blaine spoke again.

"When I make someone angry, I need to be punished. He said-I-I just need it, please."

Blaine may have been talking again but it was nothing but a whisper, so soft you really had to listen to hear it. It was clear that Blaine really had no intention of talking to Kurt specifically, he was more or less muttering nonsensical things that he had been through with his abduction. He was speaking as if he were programmed to say so, or at least that's what it sounded like to Kurt.

"Blaine, no," Kurt insisted and waited for further words from Blaine. No response.

Blaine had no emotion; he just stayed firmly across Kurt's lap expecting Kurt to spank him. Kurt gently pulled Blaine off his lap and into his arms.

"I will never hurt you, nor will I ever lay a hand on you, do you understand me? I'm sorry that I raised my voice at you, I didn't mean to. I wasn't angry, I'm just so worried for you, sweetheart. I just need you to talk to me."

But Blaine wouldn't speak; he only spoke to do what he thought he was supposed to do. Kurt's safety was still his top priority and he couldn't let any harm come to him.

"Will you please tell me now, baby? Who was it?" Kurt asked seriously.

Blaine picked up the notebook and once again wrote out a message.

_A person who will definitely kill you if I say one word. I've already said too much, I can't disobey him like that again. If you won't punish me, he absolutely will. _

Kurt sighed and pulled Blaine to him again. He had to help Blaine, it was killing him not having his happy, spirited boyfriend in his arms. He had to make things right again. He had to find this creep and prove to Blaine that he could be himself again. Nothing could stop him from accomplishing this. Absolutely nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>There we are, guys! Did we like it? Kinda creepy, eh? Lol. I don't like creeptastic phone people either, even if we <em>know<em> who it is! Lol. So, thoughts? Comments? I'd love to hear them! Much love as always!**

**-Casey**


	13. Normalcy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Hey there, guys. I'm just going to say sorry that this chapter might not be the absolute best, but I am so very, very, very tired. ;P Alas, I wanted to give you something! Short Author's note, I know, but hey, more time for you to read Chapter 13!**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**no1hpfan – I know, poor Blaine. =(**

**klainediva – My heart broke writing it. ='( Man, I don't even know what Karofsky's gonna do anymore. Lol. Let's hope nothing too bad!**

**flamealchemist15 – True that. Karofsky might just have something up his sleeve. ;P That jerk, right?**

**WiseGirl747 – As you should, he definitely deserves it!**

**ASiriuslyGleekyTimeLord – Let's hope Kurt's smart. ;P Lol.**

**miss jayne76 – I'm very happy to hear that, thank you! =D**

**Klaine Lover – Man, maybe we should get Kurt some Sai Swords and go like crazy ninja on Karofsky…that would be expected, right? Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – Thank you as always. =) I'm glad to hear that I'm writing it well. As long as it came off as creepy as I felt writing it, then I succeeded. Lol.**

**candylockwood – Thank you so much for reading it! You know, there's a lot of fics…the majority of them where Blaine's parents really aren't the nicest and in this story I just had to! Lol. I couldn't make all this awful stuff happen to him and give him horrible parents, too! Lol.**

**LunaLongbottom – He really is horridly creepy! The First Time…was by far one of the best episodes in a long while for me, I enjoyed it immensely…and putting my story aside I was happy to see Max Adler back as Karofsky, because in real life, I grew to sort of like Karofsky in an 'I feel bad for you' way…lol. But maybe it's because I adore Max Adler…he seems like such a sweetheart. Lol.**

**MiaLawrence – I caught your kisses, darlin'! Lol. After I get off work, I have to unwind, I've never been one for coming home and going straight to sleep…except for when I have a very strenuous audition or rehearsal for a show or something, then I just PASS OUT. Lol. My week's been hectic with work, but next week should be a bit easier. I hope your week got better! Much love!**

**Guardian Fox – Yeah, Kurt should have, but I guess I have to make it a little OOC to keep it suspenseful, I dunno, lol. Sometimes my ideas don't really make sense and half the time I write this on little sleep. Lol. I agree with your criticism, Kurt would definitely run to an adult if he wasn't being slightly OOC. -.^**

**Starsleeper – That's a wonderful compliment, thank you very much!**

**Phamy – A fact that I left out that hopefully might become clearer in this chapter, lol. Blaine definitely needs a therapist to heal, I agree.**

**AisforAwesome – Aww, well…here's more! Lol.**

**stupidamericanidioms91 – I'm glad to bring you more. =)**

**angel-hime96 – I'm hoping it won't be for too long, really. By the by, it's NEVER too early for Christmas songs in my opinion. I love Christmas and have been all over those new Glee Christmas songs! Lol.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – I hope he is. Lol. He needs to be caught.**

**gleek101Obsessed – I'm glad I have you so hooked! It makes me feel like I did something right. ;D Lol.**

**GreggoAddict – I know, I'm evil for making him say that…=( He is incredibly traumatized. I'm hoping you're liking where it's all going! ;D**

**tomboy2012 – That definitely gave Kurt a good idea as to how messed up Blaine really is. But you're right, as long as they're together they can withstand anything. ;D Aww, you're too sweet. I enjoy the writing and you guys help motivate me to do it. I try not to work myself too hard. ;D**

**Thanks for those wonderful, wonderful reviews guys. They truly mean a lot to me and are the driving force of my updates. ^.^ As always, I love to read what you have to say.**

Chapter 13. "Normalcy"

Kurt strode down the McKinley hallway headed straight for his locker not stopping to speak to anyone; he really wasn't in the mood. It had been a week since the phone call from the creep who took Blaine. As soon as Kurt had calmed Blaine down enough to get him to sleep that evening, he promptly took his phone down to the police station to have the call traced. The number had lead to a pay-as-you-go phone that had been discarded in a trashcan outside of a McDonalds. As a result, the police still had no leads as to who the hell this creep was, but Kurt knew that something had to be done and quickly. He had been trying for days to pinpoint the voice on the phone. Something about it had seemed familiar, but it sounded as if the voice had been projected through some kind of a manipulator. Smart, but terribly inconvenient.

In the past week, Blaine had been to see his therapist. Kurt didn't go with him which had Blaine extremely nervous. He wasn't keen on the idea of opening up to a complete stranger and although he didn't verbally communicate with the therapist, Kurt found that Blaine felt a bit better once the session was over. The one positive that had come from this was that Blaine was getting slightly less hard on himself. He seemed to be striving to get better which Kurt was elated for. He saw more of Blaine's old self recently than he had since he had been found. Things were by no means back to normal; there had been a few instances where Kurt was reminded at how traumatized Blaine truly was.

The main issue was that Blaine constantly asked Kurt if he was angry at him, which had started occurring almost every day since Kurt had snapped at him. Only once more had Blaine attempted to seek that Kurt punish him. Kurt had been talking with Blaine and had raised his voice in frustration over the police not being able to trace the call. Without it even being directed at Blaine, it still had him reacting in a horrible way. Kurt had been sitting on the bed with Blaine and he had attempted to once again get over Kurt's lap. Before he had gotten very far, Kurt stopped him and said, _"Blaine, you do _not_ deserve to be punished, _ever_, do you understand me? More importantly, never by me. So you don't need to try and ask me for it, OK? I love you and would never even contemplate laying a hand on you like that."_

Kurt still couldn't believe that Blaine even thought that he would or even _could_ spank him out of anger. It terrified him to even fathom why Blaine thought that he could ever do something like that. Whatever Blaine's kidnapper had done to him that Kurt didn't have knowledge about had his stomach in knots. He couldn't imagine Blaine actually being punished in this way by someone. It made him sick at the very thought of it but unfortunately it was reality and it had happened whether Kurt wanted it to, or in this case really wished it _hadn't_.

Ever since then, Blaine never asked for punishment again and wasn't constantly reminding Kurt how he was too damaged to be with him and that he didn't deserve to even be around people. The other issue was that Blaine was trying so hard for _him_. He had written to Kurt that he didn't want to disappoint him and was trying to get back to normal for him. He had to keep reminding Blaine that he was the person to focus on. _"Blaine," _he had said._ "You need to be strong for yourself and get back to normal for _you_. I'm happy you don't want to disappoint me but you never have in the past, so why would that start now? We'll get through this _together_ like we always do and everything will be all right."_

With this whole "getting back to normal" kick that he was on, Blaine had made the terrifying decision to return to Dalton and today was his first day back. This is what had Kurt highly anxious at the moment. No one had forced Blaine; it had been _his_ decision and even after his endless insistence, Kurt had still not warmed up to the idea. Blaine wasn't ready to face the world yet, but as he had said…well _written_…he wanted to get back to some sense of normalcy and left no room for argument. Kurt remembered being there for the discussion with Blaine and his parents about it.

_"Blaine honey, are you sure you want to go back to school? Your father and I would perfectly understand if you wanted to take more time off. You've been through a traumatizing experience and we really don't feel that you're ready for that step yet."_

_Kurt, Blaine and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson sat at the Anderson dinner table and were discussing Blaine's random request to return to school. He had spoken with his therapist about it who pretty much shut him down at the whole idea. Blaine had argued against it and the therapist had relented with one condition: Blaine had to speak with his parents about it.  
><em>

_Blaine began to write in his notebook which was really beginning to fill up. Kurt made a mental note that he had to get him a new one if this silence was going to persist. Ever since the phone call, he hadn't spoken a word since; not to anyone. He slid the notebook out for everyone around the table to read._

I understand your concerns. I'm worried too, but I can't stay locked away in some tower like Rapunzel. Kurt can't be with me 24 hours a day and neither can you. I'd feel a lot safer if I was back at Dalton with everyone… where there is always someone around.

_Kurt understood where he was coming from. There would be sometime when Blaine would be forced to be alone and Kurt could understand that it would terrify him and above all else, Blaine was right. Kurt had school, his parents had to work and they wouldn't be able to keep him safe for all 24 hours of the day._

_"Do you want to be around a lot of people right now, Blaine? I mean, I walk down the hall to turn on a light and you nearly jump ten feet in the air. Dalton has so many people that I don't think you're ready to take on right now…" Mr. Anderson stated finally expressing his view on the situation._

_Blaine once again took the notebook back and wrote another message._

It scares me. It truly does…but I feel that I need to get back to a normal life. The longer that I'm away from people, the more prone I am to be distant from everyone. Maybe being around more familiar faces could be good for me. I'll never know until I try and if I don't try at all, how am I supposed to heal?

_"I just don't know," Mr. Anderson spoke again scratching at his graying hair._

_"Blaine, honey…I think it's an awful idea," Kurt voiced quietly, staring at his hands._

You too, Kurt?_ Blaine wrote. He looked up from the notebook and straight at his boyfriend with a frown. He had hoped that at least Kurt would be on board for this, but it seemed he was alone in this.  
><em>

_"Sweetheart, it's only been a week since you've been home, I think you need more time to heal. I don't think you should take on more than you can handle. You've been through a lot. I just don't think it's time yet," Kurt replied.  
><em>

I _can't_ be alone. I need to be around someone. What if I'm home alone and they come back to get me? At Dalton, at least there are people everywhere and no chance for me to be taken anywhere.

_Kurt sighed. "I understand, sweetie, I really do but I just think being around so many people might not be healthy for you."_

Are you mad at me, Kurt?

_Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand. "No, I can't be mad at you for being scared. You have every right to be. I just don't feel comfortable with you being at Dalton when I won't be there to protect you," Kurt stated sadly._

I'll have Jeff and Thad and all of the other guys at Dalton. I'm really sorry; I just think it might be the best thing. I'm behind in schoolwork enough as it is and I just think it might help me get my life back, I don't know.

_Kurt closed his eyes and breathed. He couldn't tell Blaine to stay home at his house where he would be extremely vulnerable, but he also couldn't say he was wild about the idea._

_"How about this? We'll take you back to Dalton on Monday and we'll see how you do. If for any reason it doesn't work out, we're doing homeschooling for the rest of the year, deal?" Mr. Anderson offered firmly._

Deal._ Blaine scrawled with an uneasy smile._

Kurt sighed and let his head fall against his locker. Not being with Blaine at Dalton right now was killing him. What if Blaine was holed up somewhere freaking out and Kurt wasn't there to protect him? He knew it was a bad idea from the get-go. Anything and everything could go wrong. He had wanted to be positive with this whole thing, but he couldn't. He wanted to believe that Blaine was brave enough to take on anything, but realistically not even Blaine could handle _everything. _No matter how good of an actor he could be, he couldn't be handling this situation without any issues. Kurt's phone buzzed pulling him out of his state of worry.

_Just wanted to let you know that I just got dropped off. I think I'm going to be OK. I'll keep in touch. *Blaine*_

Blaine had received a new phone from his parents and had agreed to text Kurt throughout the day. This text helped Kurt relax slightly. He still felt extremely anxious about the whole thing, but maybe this would help ease the knot in his stomach for the time being. Today was going to be grueling. He couldn't wait for the day to be over so that he could go check on Blaine. He didn't want to be so smothering, but Blaine seemed to be OK with it, even glad for it.

_Wonderful, sweetheart. Please keep in touch as often as you can. I love you! I'm still coming over after school, right? ~KurtBornThisWay~_

_Yes, please. I love you, too. More than anything. *Blaine*_

Kurt smiled at Blaine's quick response and tried to stop worrying so much. If he kept on like this, he was going to give himself a heart attack. He had just grabbed the last book that he would be needing out of his locker when a hand reached out from next to him and slammed his locker shut. He whirled around to face no one else but Karofsky.

"Dave," Kurt greeted in monotone.

"Hey there, Kurt. I was just seeing if we could catch up?"

Kurt felt a little uneasy. He still felt an odd sort of feeling when he was around Dave. It had been since that day in the hospital when he saw the way that he had looked at Blaine and also the fact that Kurt couldn't get him to leave.

"I'd love to, but I have to get to class," Kurt explained and tried to walk away, but Dave blocked his path.

"Why are you acting so strange around me?"

"Dave, I'm sorry, but I guess I'm still a little uneasy given our past, you know?" Kurt replied attempting to find a good excuse for his uneasiness.

"Oh, well I was hoping we could put that behind us," Dave started, making sure Kurt's couldn't sidestep around him. "Given the fact that you know the biggest secret about me, I thought that sort of, I don't know, made us closer?"

Kurt smiled awkwardly. "It makes us something, I suppose."

"I was wondering how Blaine was doing. Is he pulling through all right?" Dave asked.

That's when Kurt's suspicion grew more. Why was Dave so ridiculously preoccupied with Blaine? He could understand and appreciate the fact that Blaine is wonderful and everyone should be concerned about him, but that was the weirdness of the matter. Even Kurt's closest friends didn't dwell on it this much. A comment or question here and there about Blaine, sure but to mention it every single time was simply not right.

"He's doing better," Kurt responded flatly. "Given what happened to him. I'm hoping he's on his way to talking to me, soon."

"Talking, huh? Hasn't really said a word, has he?" Dave replied with an odd smile.

"Not so much, but I'm hoping that that's going to change."

"Huh," Was Dave's response and with that, he sauntered away with no goodbye. Kurt watched as Dave headed in the complete opposite direction of his first class. He silently followed towards the entrance of the school and watched as Dave got into his car and drove off towards the school gates. Something was up with him and Kurt had an extremely bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It was that meeting with Dave that landed Kurt in the police station that afternoon. He told Mr. Schue that he needed to be excused from Glee today due to his commitment with Blaine. Mr. Schue had understood wholeheartedly and told Kurt to give Blaine his well wishes. He took the sheet music for the group assignment and with that, left directly for the police station. He chewed at his nails as he drove up and parked in visitor's parking. He couldn't be wrong; even if Dave wasn't the main assailant, he at least knew something. He was sure of it.

* * *

><p>Blaine drove up past the main gate of Dalton and headed straight for student parking. It took some convincing but his parents allowed him to drive himself. It was going to be that or take a school shuttle and he preferred to drive. It gave him some time alone to think, plus the chances of Karofsky or Azimio stealing him out of a moving car were pretty slim to none. He felt good being back in his car, plus he had spent the last month or so of his life not being his own person. He really needed to be granted at least a smidgeon of independence. It took convincing to even get his mother to let him cut his own meat for the past week. He really didn't know what she was afraid of: the big bad knife might attack him? He worried enough on his own without needing additional concern from others.<p>

He had just finished his last text to Kurt as he locked his car and made his way towards Dalton's main building. He clutched his messenger bag tightly to try to ease the nausea in his stomach. He knew he had to do this to get back to a normal life and he wanted so badly to not disappoint Kurt. He had to make this work; with one hand he straightened his tie for the fiftieth time out of nerves as he stood at the main entrance. He took a deep breath, pulled open the door and prepared himself to return to Dalton once again.

The faculty had been notified of Blaine's return and had been filled in on every aspect of the situation. They had already been aware by the news and gossip floating around the school, but they had only recently become aware of his mental state since he had been found. They also knew that his return may not be permanent due to his current state of social phobia so everything needed to be handled delicately.

Blaine caught quite a few gazes in his general direction, but he tried not to focus on them. _No one's looking at you, just keep walking_, he kept repeating to himself as he walked at a brisk pace.

"Blaine!"

A voice echoed from down the hall, not surprisingly scaring the absolute hell out of him. He dropped his bag, causing a couple of books and pens to fly out and spill across the floor. He turned around slowly to identify who had shouted his name: it was Thad.

He came jogging up with an apologetic smile and started to help Blaine who had been frantically placing the spilled contents back into his bag.

"Sorry, dude, I'm just happy to see you back safe and sound. It was a lonely summer without you," Thad explained with a sheepish grin.

Blaine smiled slightly in response and got up from the floor once all of his belongings had once again been properly stored away in his bag. He and Thad began walking together in silence. The silence became a little too much and Thad once again began talking to ease the awkward tension.

"So, how are you feeling?"

He shrugged in response.

"You're a bit quiet, I mean...I guess I understand given the circumstances. Say, now that you're back, The Warblers will be unstoppable! We are a wreck without you and had absolutely no hope to even place at Sectionals, but now we are _so_ back in the game!"

Blaine had been used to how Thad liked to ramble but at the moment he was feeling rather overwhelmed. He was just trying to get back on his feet; leading The Warblers to Sectionals was something he sadly didn't think that he could do as much as he wanted to. He wasn't even talking at the current time, how was he supposed to be expected to sing?

Thad had apparently been waiting eagerly for a response while Blaine was lost in his thought process.

"So how about it, Blaine? Ready to lead us back to victory again?"

Blaine sighed and took out his notebook and a pen. Thad looked on in confusion as he wrote down his message. He looked back up with a sincere expression of apology and handed Thad the notebook.

"What do you mean you can't talk, Blaine? What—"

Blaine placed a finger at his lips signaling Thad to settle down a moment as he wrote down more to his message.

_Thad, I haven't said a word since it happened. I'm literally only here for the day because I insisted. If anything goes wrong, I'm being withdrawn for the rest of the semester. I haven't even been assigned back to my old room. My parents didn't even want me to come back let alone board again. Right now I'm just hoping nothing goes wrong so that I can stay for school at least and get things back to normal. Talking again would be a great start, but I'm not quite there yet…I hope you understand, man._

Thad read the message with his eyes softening at the words. He looked up after several sections and suddenly pulled Blaine into a tight hug. At first he tensed at being locked in someone's arms who wasn't Kurt, but relaxed when he reminded himself that it was just Thad.

"I understand, dude," Thad started, letting Blaine go. "I can't imagine what you've been through. Although I'm a bit let down at the no talking thing. Just so we're clear, don't think of it as a negative. Work on what you have to do for you so we can get our old Blaine back. Listen, I'll give the other guys a heads up not to bombard you too much and kind of fill them in on what's going on with you, is that cool? I mean, I don't want you to have to explain this too many times…"

Blaine smiled appreciatively and Thad took it as a go ahead.

"All right, well, it's great to see you back again, buddy. We missed you and Dalton really hasn't been the same without you," Thad said as a farewell and took off towards his first class leaving Blaine unaccompanied. He didn't mind too awful much; he needed a moment to catch his breath. If one person made him feel bombarded, how was he going to make it through the day?

_Just take it one step at a time_… He told himself as he began to walk towards his first class hoping that he could get through the day in one piece.

Mostly the day had gone by all right. Thad had done a good job of letting everyone know the situation and his old friends greeted him and talked to him, but nothing too suffocating.

At lunch was when the next slip up occurred. Blaine had made his way to a back table in the dining hall and set his tray down. He began to pick at the chicken when a few of the Warbler's sat down to join him.

"Blaine! You're back!" Trent exclaimed with a loud squeal.

He responded with a smile and nod at Trent.

"Oh don't worry, the other guys filled me in. They were the lucky ones who had classes with you and got to see you before I did. I think we have English together. Last period, Mr. Graham?"

Blaine nodded in response as both Nick and Jeff came over to the table, trays in hand.

"Chicken again? Do we have a steak shortage or something, or are they telling us we're too fat to eat red meat?" Jeff joked as the pair sat down.

"Dalton's slacking," Nick responded in agreement as he took a bite of the chicken, "But not too badly; it's still pretty damn good."

"Man, both of you just be glad that you're not stuck eating public school food," David joined in as he took one of the seats next to Blaine. "Lord knows if the meat they eat even _came_ from an animal at one time."

Blaine smiled to himself. He'd missed the stupid lunch banter between all of his friends. He had seen them a few times over the summer, but most of his time had been taken up by Kurt and his McKinley friends and of course being abducted for the tail end of summer.

Blaine apparently missed something while he was lost in his own thoughts, because David had placed a hand on his back and asked him if he was OK. He gasped as David's hand made contact with the welts that were still healing on his back and all but fell out of the chair as he abruptly stood up, causing his chair to topple over as a result with a loud crash. Silence filled the dining hall as the students looked over to see the cause of the disturbance.

"Blaine, I'm so sorry," David apologized as he stood up to make sure he was all right. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Order was beginning to restore throughout the room as Blaine took a few deep breaths and motioned for David to sit back down as he went through his bag to retrieve his notebook. He turned the chair back upright and sat back down as he began to write out an explanation to David. He handed it over with a small smile that he hoped conveyed how sorry he was for how he had reacted.

_Dude, I'm so sorry. I kind of get lost in my thoughts and it scared me a little. You did nothing wrong, I'm just super on edge. There's still some stuff healing on my back and you couldn't have known that. I'll try to focus a bit more so this isn't an issue again, we cool?  
><em>  
>David still looked a bit broken up about it, but nudged Blaine very lightly on his upper arm with his own. "We cool, buddy."<p>

The rest of lunch proceeded without incident and everything seemed to flow a lot smoother to which Blaine was grateful. Everyone talked over their ideas for Sectionals even asking Blaine for some input whether he'd be leading them or not. They made it clear that whether or not he competed didn't mean he was out of The Warblers; in their mind, he was still their lead soloist on temporary leave. They proceeded to tread lightly around him but not overly so that would result in making him feel like an outsider. The inclusion despite his odd behavior made his return feel so much more at ease and he was almost sure that the day was going to go by all right and that he was on the path to getting back into some sort of a routine.

As soon as the last bell rang signaling the end of the Dalton school day, Blaine stood up from his desk in English and was amazed that he had gotten through the day without a complete nervous breakdown or _major_ freak out. Thad and David had been little setbacks, but it was nothing that he couldn't overcome. He knew that he wasn't in the clear yet, but he proved that he could get through at least one school day and to him, that was a major accomplishment. Whilst things didn't feel quite normal yet, they still felt better to get back to rather than hide out in his room excluded from the world.

He was walking towards the parking lot and was in the middle of sending Kurt his end of school text when it happened. Since McKinley got out earlier than Dalton, Kurt would be able to receive the text and give a quick response in return. He read over the message that Kurt had sent him an hour ago saying that he left Glee early and had something he had to do before he came over when Blaine had begun to feel a sense of uneasiness. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. There were a couple of people around, but no one out of the ordinary. _Not now, Blaine. You're almost done with this day, just get to the car and it'll all be over; just calm down. _He lectured himself.

He placed his phone in the side pocket of his messenger bag so that he could get to his car at a quicker pace, but before he could take one step, he felt someone grab him and a hand was placed tightly over his mouth to silence him from screaming.

* * *

><p><strong>Evil I am, I know. I just had to make a cliffhanger here. We haven't had a really good one of those in a while. Lol. This is definitely another late night chapter, so I'm sorry if it's not as good as everyone hoped, but I wanted to give you something. ;P So, what are our thoughts, guys?<strong>

**-Casey**


	14. No More Silence

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Sorry to leave you for so long, guys! It's been a busy week! This is very uncharacteristic of me, but I am so darn tired that I'm just going to respond to the reviews in my author's note. I want to thank you all for your wonderful reviews as always. They make me so very happy to read them and they definitely keep me happy to write this for all of you. I love each and every one of you! Thank you for everything! You all make my heart smile!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 14. "No More Silence."

Blaine felt his heart nearly give out as a firm hand had been placed roughly against his mouth. He felt another arm wrap around his chest as he was dragged over to behind one of the walls out of view from any possible spectators. This was it, wasn't it? Someone had come back for him; was it Dave or was it Azimio? He didn't know and truly he didn't want to. Not one was any better than the other option. He tried to struggle to get out of the grip he was locked in but it was too strong and Blaine's anxiety levels were increasing causing his strength to deplete. There was no getting out of this.

Once it was clear that he and his attacker were hidden from sight, he was spun around abruptly and then pinned against the wall to face the culprit dead in the eye. Even though he was sure that he knew exactly who it was, nothing could ever prepare him to once again be faced with the ice cold stare of David Karofsky. All that time he spent trying to prepare himself for this day; for everything that could possibly go wrong and the _one_ minute he was alone, Karofsky _had_ to come for him? His family, his therapist, Kurt...they were all right, he probably would have been safer locked away in his ivory tower. He wanted so desperately to get back to his life, but who was he kidding? He didn't have a life anymore; his life belonged to Dave and that was that. He tried his best to keep himself from shaking in terror as he was face to face with Karofsky but to no avail; it was instinctual.

"I take it, my darling Blaine that you've obeyed me and haven't said a word to sweet, clueless Kurt, yes?" Dave whispered hotly into Blaine's ear as he gave his ear a small nibble. The moisture from his breath had Blaine shuddering with fear and disgust.

In response, he gave a small nod as he stared with wide fearful eyes into his assaulter's cold calculating gaze.

"Good boy, you've begun to listen," Dave cooed with a sickening grin. He allowed his eyes to wander up and down Blaine's small frame, drinking him in. "By the way, I love that you're in this uniform of yours again. My naughty little school boy…good lord, the things I want to do to you right now with you in that hot little uniform. I can think of so much role play fun: you the naughty school boy and me the professor who has to teach you a lesson…I'm getting hard just thinking about it."

Blaine felt his stomach churn in disgust as a result of that statement and felt like he was going to throw up the bite or two of chicken that he had consumed at lunch, but he didn't have any time to follow through because Dave carried on talking.

"It's time to take you home, Blaine. You've spent far too much time away and it's time to go back where you belong. My dad's out of town on another business trip so we can be alone. I'm tired of thinking of all the people getting to touch my property and me not being able to do anything about it. _My_ touch is the only one you should be feeling. It's time we had a reminder, don't you agree?" Dave asked gripping Blaine's shoulders tight enough to cause some form of bruising.

Blaine could feel his eyes well up with tears. He didn't want to go with Dave, not at all. No matter how much he had tried to prepare himself for this moment, he was so frightened that he could hardly keep himself standing. He was sure that if Karofsky hadn't been holding him, he certainly wouldn't be standing of his volition. He looked to the taller boy and tried to open his mouth to say something but couldn't bring himself to speak. He could feel his breathing become erratic and he couldn't help it, but he choked back a quiet sob.

"Why are you crying, Blainey-Bear? We're going to go back to my house and have some fun, won't that be nice?" Dave inquired in an almost threatening tone, gripping Blaine's shoulders even tighter than before. Blaine couldn't free himself from his grip and whimpered as a result from the pain and frustration.

He felt his tears betray him and tried to calmly shake his head in response.

"You _don't_ think it'll be fun?" Dave asked with a threatening glare in his eyes.

Blaine once again shook his head.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to take you and show you—"

"Please…don't," Came Blaine's quiet but weak response. It was barely audible, practically a whisper.

"What was that, darling?"

"Please, I can't take anymore. Please let me go…" Blaine begged softly, his voice cracking from lack of use.

Dave cocked his head like an inquisitive bulldog and took in Blaine's demeanor that was screaming defeat. A malicious smile spread across his face.

"Oh, baby, don't you get it? I'm _never_ going to let you go; you're mine remember? I've let you spend too much time with Kurt filling your head with all sorts of ridiculous ideas. I guess I'm just going to have to remind you who you really belong to," Dave said in reply as he brushed the back of his hand against the side of Blaine's face in some form of affection.

Blaine shook his head more frantically. "No…no…" He muttered over and over again softly to himself.

"It's time to go, Blaine," Karofsky spoke firmly and without a moment's hesitation grabbed him by his waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder.

"No, please, please, don't do this! I'll do anything, just please let me go. Someone help me, please!" Blaine cried trying to get Dave to put him down. The volume of his cries had started to amplify resulting in Dave shushing him with a quick swat to his backside.

"Shut up! I'm taking you home whether you like it or not. Now you either get with the program or I will give you the harshest punishment you've ever had. Now be quiet and stop fighting me!" Dave hissed.

Despite the warning, Blaine continued to struggle over his shoulder but it was quite a task since Karofsky was much bigger than Blaine and he had a firm hold on him. He felt his heart race as he attempted to break free; he couldn't go back, he hadn't even truly begun the healing process from all of this and he was certain that if he was taken again, he would _never_ recover. Even though he knew this was inevitable, he couldn't let it happen again without at least some semblance of a fight.

"Where did all this struggle come from? You've spent way too much time away from me. I'm guessing there were a few lessons that didn't stick. Don't worry, babe, we've got all the time in the world to teach you again," Dave stated as he tried to subdue Blaine from his further attempts to get free.

"No more, please. I-I can't take anymore, l-let me go." Blaine begged not even bothering to wipe away the tears spilling from his eyes onto the back of Dave's jacket.

"I'm not liking this defiance from you, Blaine. I'm thinking that you're in desperate need of a proper spanking on this bottom of yours and that's precisely what I'm going to give you when we get back home," Dave responded with a dark chuckle.

"No, no, no!" Blaine cried as he went limp over Karofsky's shoulder. He brought both of his hands up to his face and began to sob as he was carried away. By this time everyone had to have cleared the grounds and he couldn't bring himself to try to scream again for help. Even if someone did pass by, the two of them were hidden quite well from view so no one would notice. Plus, it could appear as nothing; for all anyone knew they could be two friends just messing around. Deep down, Blaine knew that this couldn't possibly look normal to an outside observer but with his luck, he wouldn't be surprised.

"You know you need it, baby; we've been over this. Just think of what a good little boy you'll be afterward, hmm? I'm sure it'll make you feel so much better," Dave responded and with that, he began to carry Blaine off towards the direction of his car. Blaine's messenger bag still hung from his shoulder bouncing against Dave's back with every step he took; it was too bad that Blaine couldn't get enough momentum to try and hit Karofsky with it, but the real question was if he had the opportunity would he even take it?

Sure enough, Blaine was right. The back of the school was a ghost town; not a single soul was wandering around, leaving Karofsky absolutely free to do whatever he wanted with him. Blaine looked up at the rows of windows that were the student dorms. Was anyone witnessing what was happening to him? Would anyone do anything? It was highly unlikely; who would be just sitting at the window waiting for something like this to occur? No, Blaine was going with Karofsky and that was the end of it.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Blaine could hardly believe his ears. Someone was here, which was extremely rare. At about 4 PM every student was either gone or buried up in their dorms studying, but someone _had_ noticed that something was off about this. His assumption of someone seeing him over Karofsky's shoulder and shrugging it off as nothing was disputed and he couldn't be more relieved. He gazed up from his hands and looked to see who his savior was. Nick and Jeff had been walking out of the main building on their way to get some coffee off campus and were now staring in shock at the scene that was occurring before them.

"Uh, j-just playing a game with Blaine, here," Dave laughed trying to lie his way out of the situation. "Yeah, see I go to school with Kurt-Blaine and I are really good friends. We like to play this game where I pick Blaine up and he tries to get free, you know? Strength versus strength…It's ridiculous I know, but heh, guys will be guys, right?"

Nick's expression darkened as he took a couple of steps forward, "I find that a little hard to believe seeing that Blaine is in no condition for _games_ like this."

Jeff joined him and followed his lead with a backup reply, "If he won't talk with us or even _Kurt_ for that matter, what in the hell would make us believe that he would play such a weird ass _game_ like that with you? Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I don't have to answer that. Blaine, tell your little friends here that it's just a game we play all the time and they have no business here," Dave ordered Blaine and waited for a response that would never come.

Before Blaine could even attempt to muster up a reply, Nick started in again.

"That just told me everything I needed to know. If you really were a friend of Blaine's you'd know he was going through a tough time right now and is currently speaking to _no one_. I have eyes, asshole; I can see Blaine over your shoulder right now and he looks absolutely petrified. I mean, he's crying for gods-sake and that right there shows me that you're _no_ friend of his. So why don't you give it up and put him down _now_?"

Dave's eyes shifted darkly between the two of them before he responded to the demand and reluctantly put Blaine back onto his feet. Blaine swayed slightly trying to regain his balance as Dave attempted to fix his wrinkled Dalton blazer.

"I'm sorry, Blaine, you know I didn't mean to scare you. I was just trying to have fun like old times, remember? It's our game and that's all it is, right?" Dave asked in a voice that sounded apologetic, but his eyes bore into Blaine's practically daring him to disobey.

He stared back into Dave's eyes and didn't know what to do. He could risk everyone's safety by exposing Dave for the monster he truly was right here and now or he could keep his mouth shut and not say anything and live to see another day, albeit in fear. He was tired of being afraid; constantly looking over his shoulder and jumping at the sight of his own shadow. No, this wasn't a way to live; how could anyone live like this? If he kept his mouth shut forever, he could never get back to the normal life he so desperately wanted.

What about Kurt, though? If he risked exposing Karofsky and for some reason the cops decided not to do anything about it or couldn't find any evidence, then Kurt could be hurt or even killed. He was so conflicted; he had so much to lose by telling the truth.

"Listen Blaine, how about I make it up to you? I'll go buy us some coffee and we can catch up?" Dave suggested.

He really wasn't going to let it go. He had been _caught _and he was still trying to get away with Blaine. This was never going to end; one way or another it had to stop.

Blaine surprised everyone by not saying anything; instead, he bent down to retrieve his bag that he had dropped to the ground once they'd been spotted by the two Warblers and retrieved his phone from the side pocket.

"Blaine, what are you doing?" Dave asked in a tight voice.

Blaine gave no response; all he had to do was hit one button and he would reach the person he needed. He pressed his phone to his ear and felt his stomach flip with anxiety. He knew this was going to risk everything but he had to do it. If he had to go through this for just one more day, he might kill himself. He just couldn't live with this fear anymore.

* * *

><p>Kurt walked out of the station feeling very good about everything. He didn't know if Dave was in fact the culprit, but he was definitely a suspect at this point. His interrogation with Officer Lindlowe proved to be fairly easy. She said she was going to tell her partner and keep a closer eye on Dave and check around the school for any suspicious activity. She also had promised to keep his suspicion confidential. He didn't want any harm to come to Blaine whether it was true or not.<p>

He looked forward to seeing Blaine; he had been a nervous wreck all day. He hoped that Blaine had gotten through school all right. He still wasn't convinced that Blaine going back to school was a good idea. Anything could happen to him. What if his attacker knew that he was going to be there and got to him when he was alone? The thought terrified him; he had to take a deep breath and come to a resolve that he was freaking out over nothing and Blaine was probably fine. He had been corresponding with him all day and despite a few hiccups, everything seemed to be going fine.

He had just arrived at his car and was beginning to unlock the door when his phone began to vibrate from his pocket. He reached in to grab it and stared in shock at the caller ID.

_Incoming Call: Blaine_

Kurt knew something had to be wrong. Blaine wouldn't have been calling him at this point, he would be _texting_ him. He held his breath and answered.

"Blaine, honey? Is something wrong?"

Kurt could hear the shallow breaths coming from Blaine's end. What the hell was going on?

"Blaine, sweetheart, talk to me!" Kurt yelled into the phone, feeling his panic start to set in.

"K-Kurt? I don't h-have anytime to explain. I-it was Karofsky and you need to get help. Please, help me, Kurt!"

Kurt's eyes widened. He was right all along; it _was_ Dave from the beginning. He didn't know what was going on, but he heard some shouts in the background and the phone started to cut out a little.

"Blaine, what's going on?" Kurt asked feeling his heart thunder against his ribcage. What was going on? Who was shouting?

He heard more and more shouts and the sound of the phone crashing to the ground.

"Blaine? Blaine!" Kurt shouted desperately trying to get Blaine to talk to him again but obviously Blaine had either dropped the phone or it had been knocked out of his hands somehow.

He then heard a rather loud sob, but it was the sound that came next that had him running back to the police station as fast as his feat could carry him: the sound of a gunshot.

* * *

><p><strong>I am evil…that settles it…I got you off of a cliffhanger just to give you another one. I'm sorry guys, lol. I hope my writing wasn't affected by my overwhelming fatigue, but I had to give you at least something. -.^ Aaaand, oh man, Dave had a gun, you must really wanna kill me…lol. If you leave me some very nice reviews, I'm thinking I can get another chapter up here tomorrow night at some point. =D It would make Casey very happy. =) So, comments?<strong>

**-Casey**


	15. Of Blood and Hospitals

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Ok, those were some wonderful reviews, so I decided you guys deserved the chapter that I promised. ;D Good news, if I get some more of those awesome reviews that you guys give me, I just might again respond with a quick update. ;D I try to write when I get a spare moment. Tis a busy life in the life of Casey. ;P**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**Everett77 – I am so evil with my cliffhangers. Lol. To tell you the truth, I write them because I enjoy reading them. Lol. I learn from experience. ;D I'm glad to hear that my fatigue doesn't affect my writing. -.^ I think the majority of this story has been written in the late hours of the night…so I guess fatigue is the best time to write! Lol.**

**flamealchemist15 – Thad and Jeff are awesome! I know, gunshot…I'm evil. =(**

**klainediva – I am such a jerk in my stopping places. Lol, you love my evil cliffies, admit it! Lol.**

**Starsleeper – Man, you're gonna hate me…lol.**

**Klaine Lover – Kurt can't let Blaine fall again, it cannot be done. I do agree that Karofsky deserves to die a very slow and painful death for all of this. .**

**Azaelia67 – Yes! Blaine finally said it! I'm glad that I did get the chance to update for you, but after this chapter I have a feeling you just might want me to update again…lol.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – I'm sorry, did I read that right or do you not want me to kill Blaine? Lol. We shall have to read and see what crazy Casey comes up with. I still hope to keep writing this, to tell you the truth, writing this story makes me very happy and is practically therapeutic to me. Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – I'm so glad you like it. ^.^ Words cannot express how much I love your reviews!**

**MiaLawrence – I know, I'm evil. =/ Well, it's been a long week, but I'm finally getting a day off to rest here and keep forcing my friend to watch Glee, lol. She's at the season 1 finale and I plan to get her started on Season 2 where she shall finally get to see Blaine! =D But it's been a busy week, I've been all over the place. Lol. How was your week, hun? Awesome I hope!**

**GreggoAddict – You are adorable, lol.**

**N600XL – AHHH! I know! Lol. Here's an update! Yay! =D**

**fanficloverme96 – I hear "I know you know" and think of Chris Colfer, lol. Silly Chris. But yes, gunshot. =P I'm evil, evil, evil. BTW, I did read and review on your one-shot and I adored it!**

**Sarah – Sheesh, I'm like Captain Cliffhanger. Lol. That's what I call myself anyway…;P**

**AisforAwesome – I didn't want you to die, so I just had to update! Lol!**

**Very happy to read those reviews guys! You make my heart smile! Like seriously, if I could take a picture of my heart, it would totally have the Wal-Mart Smiley Face sticker on it! =D **

Chapter 15. "Of Blood and Hospitals"

The silence after the gunshot was deafening. Dave Karofsky stood out in the grass in shock of what he had done. He hadn't meant for it to go that far.

_"K-Kurt? I don't h-have any time to explain. I-it was Karofsky and you need to get help. Please, help me, Kurt!"  
><em>

_Dave's breath became loud and rough as he clenched his fists in indisputable anger. Blaine saw his face begin to color into a dangerous shade of red before he charged, knocking the phone clear out of his hand. He wrapped an arm around Blaine's chest and held him in the tightest grip he could form. He felt suffocated; the grip was nearly cutting off his oxygen supply as he gripped at Dave's arm with both hands and even then he couldn't pry the offending limb away._

_"Let him go, you mother-"_

_Jeff wasn't able to finish his sentence before Karofsky growled into Blaine's ear and held him tighter almost taking him off the ground completely with the one arm._

_"How could you do that, Blaine? Huh? I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed me and believe me, I won't hold back on your benefit any more. This time it won't be just you in that hospital; Kurt's going to have a one-way ticket to join you!"_

_Blaine tried to swallow back the bile that was forming in his throat from the choke hold he was in. He wanted to say something, _anything_ to get Karofsky to calm down so that he would allow him to breathe, but it was impossible; he couldn't breathe let alone attempt to form words._

_"He can't breathe! What the hell are you doing? You need to let him go!" Nick shouted in alarm as he started to race towards Karofsky to try to pry his arm away from Blaine's throat, but he stopped dead in his tracks when Dave pulled an object from the waistband of his jeans and pointed it straight at Nick. Blaine felt his eyes grow wide. Dave had a gun? Where the hell did he get a gun? His father perhaps, but that really wasn't the point; he was already unstable-adding a gun into the mix wasn't going to end well.  
><em>

_"Don't you come any fucking closer," Dave warned as he backed further away._

_"OK, OK, let's be calm here," Nick reasoned as he raised his arms in surrender. "Put the gun down, man. We don't need to resort to that."_

_Karofsky let out a dark almost maniacal laugh, making no effort what-so-ever to lower the deadly object. "Oh we don't do we?"_

_"We really don't, dude. Just put it down, please? We can talk about this," Jeff weighed in from behind Nick mirroring his stance of surrender._

_"We won't be doing anything. I have Blaine and now all you have to do is walk away," Dave stated, starting to walk backwards with Blaine. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but Dave was managing to cut off even more of his air supply._

_"Please just let him go. You're strangling him! Let's all calm down so we can discuss this calmly and-" Jeff was cut off by a wail of anger from Karofsky._

_"We won't be discussing anything! Blaine is coming with me and no one is going to get in the way of that! Now why don't you both get out of my face and get the hell out of here?"_

_"We can't, he's our friend and we can't walk away from that. What could he have done to you to deserve all of this?" Nick questioned gesturing at Karofsky who had released his hold ever so slightly allowing Blaine to steal short breaths._

_"What has he _done_? He's _captivated_ me! I can't eat, sleep, or breathe without thinking of him! He's put his fucking fairy spell on me and now I'm completely fixated! No matter what I do, I can't get him out of my head...he's my reason for being! He's mine!" Dave yelled back as he was choking back sobs. They weren't entirely convincing, but they really demonstrated how unstable he sounded.  
><em>

_"All right, we understand. But can we please just put the gun down? You're scaring him," Jeff responded as he looked at Blaine who was gripping onto Dave's arm tightly in fear as he watched the banter between Karofsky and his friends.  
><em>

_"I need him to be scared! He has to be! It's the only way he'll fucking listen to me!" Dave screamed, tightening his hold on Blaine. "So how about this, huh? You two prep school douche bags turn around and walk away now and _then_ no one will get hurt?"_

_"Still can't, man," Nick responded with a shake of his head._

_By this time, many Dalton students and faculty had made their way outside to find out where all the yelling was coming from and looked on in shock at the scene unfolding before them: The gun, the neanderthal holding it, and the suffocating Blaine being held captive. No one dared approach out of fear; however, a few had run off before Dave noticed their presence to call the police. Others just tried to make sense of the situation; no one knew what to do. Dave noticed the onlookers and immediately began to panic. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this._

_"Son, how about we put that gun down?" Blaine recognized the voice as Mr. Graham his English teacher call out trying to calm the situation._

_"Yeah? Well how about I don't?" Dave spat back as he turned the gun and held it to Blaine's head in a panic. He was running out of options._

_The tension in the air got thick as no one knew how to go about handling this sudden move by Karofsky, who was right in the middle of plotting his escape route with Blaine when he heard whispering and realized instantly that it was coming from the boy held tightly in his arm._

_"Please...please. Just let me go, please…"_

_Dave gritted his teeth feeling his panic subside and his anger took over once again. He then proceeded to let out a roar of anguish.  
><em>

_"You don't want to be with me, Blaine? Is that right?" Karofsky accused, waiting in the hope that he had heard incorrectly. Blaine couldn't possibly have meant what he thought he heard him say._

_Blaine didn't answer back, all he did was close his eyes as a few tears slipped out from the corners of his eyes._

_Dave growled when he didn't receive the response that he was looking for. "Well, if you won't be with me, then_ no one_ can have you!" With that, he actually let go of Blaine, surprising everyone. "I want you to drop down to your knees in front of me right now!"  
><em>

_Blaine, not knowing what else to do silently obeyed with tears still streaming down his face as Karofsky kept the gun level with him as he followed the order he was given.  
><em>

_"I want you to tell me that you don't want to be with me!" Dave screamed the demand at the highest octave he was capable of.  
><em>

_Blaine didn't say anything, he just knelt silently and watched as his tears splashed into the grass beneath him. The cooler fall weather was causing the grass to begin to die. Blaine thought back to how beautiful it was once spring had arrived as the snow began to melt. All of that beautiful green; now it was dying a slow and merciless death.  
><em>

_"Say it!"_

_Blaine flinched at the loud scream that had wrenched him from his thoughts. This was it; he took a deep breath and responded in barely above a whisper, "I d-don't want to be with you."_

_Dave let out a heart wrenching sob as the sound of a gunshot sounded.  
><em>

It all happened before anyone could even react. No one had wanted to approach Dave in fear of him doing something like this; no one had enough time to talk Dave down and get the gun away from him before the trigger was pulled. Dave stared down at Blaine who was dying right in front of his very eyes. He hadn't meant to pull the trigger; he was just so upset and his grip on the gun was too tight. He fell to his knees, effectively dropping the gun. He crawled over to Blaine who was fighting to stay awake and was blinking back tears from his eyes as he struggled to breathe.

"Blainey-bear, I'm so sorry, please forgive me…" Dave whispered.

The life was flowing out of Blaine as every drop of blood was spilling from his chest and turning the dying grass into a deep shade of red. He silently wondered if this was what it felt like to the grass when it was dying. Was it this painful? He could hardly focus on anything than the searing pain in his chest as black spots began to dance in front of his eyes. He had hoped that when he died it would be a lot more peaceful and it would be Kurt's eyes he got to look into as he took his final breath. Life was cruel with the hand it had dealt him as Karofsky's eyes were the _last_ thing he wanted to see when he made his peace with death.

He attempted to swallow but found that he really couldn't. His vision was starting to become unclear as every breath he took caused a burning sensation to erupt in his chest. He felt sick at the numerous apologies Dave was uttering as he was attempting to staunch the flow of the blood. He was looking at the blood as if he could pick it all up from the ground and get it back into Blaine somehow.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Someone yelled in the far distance. Blaine couldn't figure out who, but it didn't matter.

"Y-you did this."

Dave turned his attention back to Blaine making direct eye contact with him. He looked devastated and truly apologetic, but Blaine really couldn't find the decency within himself to feel any pity.

"R-rejection is a p-part of life, Dave," Blaine struggled to speak. "Y-you can't m-make people like y-you. E-even if you s-shoot them."

Karofsky stared as he listened to Blaine's words. He looked like a part of him was understanding, but there was that other part that was trying to convince him that Blaine's words were some sort of lie.

"Y-you're going to h-have a v-very unhappy life and y-you d-deserve that."

Blaine wasn't used to saying such horrible things, but what did it matter? He was dying. He was sure that if there was a God he couldn't possibly fault Blaine for speaking the truth.

"Blainey-Blaine," Dave corrected as he chewed at his lip. "I-I please, d-don't die...I need you."

Blaine let out a soft chuckle that was ceased by the sharp pain that shot through his chest.

"And I need K-Kurt and m-maybe he n-needs m-me too. Y-you never considered t-that did y-you?" It was getting harder to understand Blaine as he was growing weaker and weaker by the second.

Dave looked as if he was about to speak, but Blaine began coughing roughly, effectively silencing Dave before he spoke. Blaine coughed and coughed, depleting whatever remained of his oxygen. The burning in his chest was like liquid fire as he gasped out one final breath before darkness began to cloud his vision.

Dave remained crying over Blaine as all of the blood stained his Letterman jacket. There was so much blood. All Dave could see was all of the blood. He didn't remain there for long as Nick and Jeff seized the moment as they registered that Blaine was losing consciousness. The two of them both took one of Karofsky's arms and dragged him away from Blaine.

"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!" Dave kept shouting over and over again in hysterics. He was caught and he knew it. He didn't want to go to jail, but more importantly, he didn't want Blaine to die. He still firmly believed that he could have made Blaine see how much he truly loved him.

"Please, Blaine, wake up, wake up!" Dave screamed trying to get up from where Jeff held him down, but he couldn't get up.

Nick ran back over to Blaine, placing his hands on the bullet wound where Karofsky's had been before.

"Blaine, stay with me, you have to stay awake!" Nick said urgently, trying to keep Blaine's focus on him.

Blaine shook his head slightly. It was so slight that if Nick hadn't been directly looking at him, he would have missed it.

"Blaine, please, just stay with me, buddy," Nick urged as he tried to get the bleeding under control. It was pretty ineffective at this point, he had lost too much blood.

"N-nick," Blaine whispered.

Nick's eyes softened as he gazed into his dying friend's eyes.

"Yeah, Blaine, it's Nick. We're not going to let him hurt you anymore, OK?"

Blaine smiled lightly as his eyes began to close. "H-he can't h-hurt me anymore."

Nick's eyes widened and his heart began to race in panic. "No, Blaine, no! Keep your eyes open, man! Come on, stay with me, here!"

Blaine didn't do as commanded, but he did whisper one last thing as he lost consciousness, "Tell K-kurt I l-love him."

* * *

><p>Kurt chewed at his fingernails sitting at the police station. He had run as fast as his feet would carry him after the gun shot he heard over the phone and found his way straight back to Officer Lindlowe's desk. He had completely ignored the woman at the front desk, which he would have felt worse about if the circumstanced had been different. He informed Officer Lindlowe of what he had overheard from the phone call which caused her to spring into immediate action.<p>

"Officer Burke," She called out, grabbing her badge and other items off her desk. "Sir, we've gotten a confirmation of the suspect in the Blaine Anderson case. The student we were suspicious of, David Karofsky has been identified as the perpetrator."

"Lindlowe, we just got several calls of a shooting over at Dalton Academy; we have to go _now_. They already have an ambulance on route," Officer Burke replied walking briskly past her desk.

"That's where Dave is, I heard the shot over the phone!" Kurt spoke up feeling his stomach drop when he had heard the word ambulance.

"Were there any injuries or casualties?" Officer Lindlowe asked her partner, dreading whatever answer she might receive.

Officer Burke sighed; he obviously didn't want to deliver the news in front of Kurt. "Blaine Anderson _was_ identified as the victim," He shot an apologetic look to Kurt, as both of the officers made a mad dash for their car leaving Kurt standing alone in complete shock.

He felt the color drain from his face and felt every limb of his body become numb. _Blaine was shot_. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't remain standing. His knees gave way and he went toppling to the floor. Kurt couldn't see anything; his vision was blurred from the tears falling freely from his eyes. He could hardly breathe as he tried to piece together everything in his mind. _Blaine was shot._ All he could think about was Blaine dead on the ground his last memory being with Karofsky and being scared to death; the worst part of it was: Kurt wasn't there.

A few officers ran to his aid, picking him up from the ground and managing to get him sitting upright in a chair.

"Son, are you all right?" The female officer tried to get through to Kurt, but Kurt wasn't responding, he just continued to stare forward as he was lost in his own mind. "Someone get some water, please!"

"Someone needs to call his father, he's in shock," Came another officer's voice.

Kurt paid no attention to any of the hustle and bustle around him; they had tried to get him to drink some water, but the cup remained clutched in his hand untouched. He didn't even know how they managed to contact his father; he had to figure that it had to have been by looking through his cell phone that he had dropped to the ground once he had heard that Blaine had been shot.

"Kurt, Kurt!" Came Burt's panic stricken voice. Not 10 seconds later did Burt have Kurt enveloped in his arms as he held his non-responsive son.

"What happened?" Burt asked the officer who had been tending to Kurt.

"There was a shooting over at Dalton Academy and from what we understand, the victim of the shooting was Blaine Anderson," She explained carefully.

"Oh god…is he—"

"From what little knowledge we've been given, he is not a casualty, but the situation remains rather bleak. We don't know much yet; we've only heard over radio that the perpetrator was caught and arrested. That's the only information I'm aware of at this time," She responded, wishing she had more information to give.

"Thank you," Burt responded, as he focused his attention back onto Kurt, "Kurt, I'm going to take you home now, son."

Burt had managed to get Kurt to stand, but once he noticed that Kurt wasn't walking, he gathered him up in his arms and carried him out of the police station. He hadn't carried Kurt in years; it still surprised him that Kurt was still as light as he was. In any other situation, it would have seemed weird to be carrying his 17 year old son out in public, but at this time, he could care less what it looked like, his son was in shock.

Once he got Kurt into the car, he buckled him in and closed the door. He wasted no time getting into the car and once again wrapped his arms around his son.

"Kurt, I'm so sorry you had to hear all of that. I'm sure Blaine's—"

"I don't understand…"

Burt was taken by surprise as Kurt spoke for the first time since he had arrived. He pulled out of the hug to find Kurt shaking his head as tears streamed down his face.

"You don't understand what, Kurt?"

Kurt kept shaking his head but surprised Burt even further as he began to shout, "Blaine never hurt anyone! He never deserved any of this shit to happen to him! I thought Karofsky was getting better, then he does this to Blaine? Why?" Kurt's voice broke on the last word as the tears effectively silenced him.

"Karofsky…." Burt knew that name. That kid was the reason that Kurt had been driven out of McKinley in the first place. That kid had threatened to kill his son, yet everyone seemed to take it as an empty threat. He _knew_ that neanderthal wasn't to be trusted and now look where they were. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Kurt needed him now, he couldn't be enraged over the Karofsky kid at this very moment, he needed to be calm and take care of his son.

"Kurt, I'm sorry, kid," Burt said softly as he held Kurt in his arms. This time, Kurt grabbed onto his father and held him tightly as he sobbed into his shoulder. Burt just rubbed calming circles on Kurt's back as he kept saying, "Shhh," to try to calm him.

After a few moments, Kurt let go and sniffed. He turned around in the passenger seat to face forward and simply said the words, "I need to get to the hospital, Blaine needs me there…"

Burt didn't even respond, he turned on the ignition and drove straight to the hospital without another word.

* * *

><p>Kurt was so sick and tired of hospitals. He never wanted to see a hospital again after this; he had spent way too much time in them. He had hoped that the last time he had to be in one was when they initially had found Blaine, but here he was yet again, sitting in the <em>same<em> hospital with his dad and Blaine's parents. It was as if they never had Blaine back and were back to a month ago when they sat and waited for the doctor's to explain what had initially happened to Blaine.

The one difference was now they knew who had done it: David Karofsky had taken Blaine and had abused him and raped him. Kurt felt his heart burn with anger at the jock that had the nerve to even_ talk_ to Kurt when he had had Blaine all this time. He kept insisting that Blaine was dead and there was no hope of getting him back. He had the _audacity_ to speak to Kurt about how he hoped Blaine was doing better. He fought to keep his lunch down. The very thought of Karofsky being the one to do all those things sickened him to his very core.

It was true, he _had_ suspected Dave, but he never wanted to believe that it was true. Kurt expected a lot of awful things to come from him, but he never thought that Dave could truly be capable of all of this.

"I knew it was a bad idea to send him back to school," Mrs. Anderson sobbed into her tissue as Mr. Anderson held her in his arms. "If we hadn't let him go, this wouldn't have happened…"

Kurt looked over at her taking in her sorrowful appearance; her eyes were red rimmed from all the crying and mascara had cascaded down her face leaving streaks of black from her tears.

"Blaine wanted to be brave," Kurt responded softly. "He's always so brave even when he's scared to death; that's something that I love so much about him and also can't help but hate."

It was true. He knew how self sacrificing Blaine was. He didn't want to put anyone out of their way for him and he wanted to be brave for everyone by going back to Dalton. Blaine was scared of being alone and wanted to get back to a normal life, but he first and foremost went back just so he could prove to everyone that he could.

"I just want my baby back," Mrs. Anderson sobbed again, burying her face into Mr. Anderson's chest.

"We all want that, honey and if I know my son, he'll pull through this…he has to," Mr. Anderson responded trying to put on a brave face for his wife; like father like son. Mr. Anderson was scared to death with the possibility of losing his only child, Kurt could see it in his eyes but he was trying to be strong for his wife.

It was then that the doctor had finally come out to speak to them. Kurt gazed up and felt his heart clench. He prayed to whatever existence there was above that the doctor didn't come out to say the worst. Kurt couldn't take it if he did…

* * *

><p><strong>Dear God, am I evil or am I evil? 3 cliffies in a row? That's got to be a record! I'm such a jerk! Lol. But hey, normally when I post cliffies such as this and I get excellent reviews like I got this last chapter, I am normally pretty quick on the update! *Wink, wink, nudge, nudge* Lol, love you lots, guys, let me know what ya think!<strong>

**-Casey**


	16. A Promise That Will Remain Unbroken

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**All right, I've decided to release you from that terrible cliffhanger. Lol. Because for once, I'm NICE! Lol. I try not to leave you guys on those evil cliffies for too long. ^.^ Anyways, it's late and I'm going to make this short. I hope you guys like the chapter! =D**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**Klaine Lover - Karofsky deserves many a bad thing to happen to him. He wanted to badly for Blaine to love him in his sick twisted mind...but alas, he's sick and there's just no excusing it.**

**klainediva - Yeah, I toyed with the idea of having it be one of them, but for some reason I just have to make so many bad things happen to Blaine. =( I'm mean. I know, Kurt's gonna flip when he finds out why! Lol.**

**fanficloverme96 - Totally a sick and twisted Romeo! Lol. I loved that interview with Chris and so glad you coined it as a catch phrase, that is way too badass. ^.^ But yes, I did indeed enjoy that fanfiction whether it was written in 30 minutes or not, it was cute!**

**tranghana - Man, we'll have to see what my evil mind came up with this time. =P**

**theslytheringleek - We shall have to see. =P**

**candylockwood – My goodness! I hope everyone at University doesn't think you're crazy! Lol. They need to understand that Blaine being shot is a trivial matter! Lol. My week's been pretty good, just busy…but still miraculously finding time for updates! Lol. How's yours been?**

**Lopedogg – I know, I know, I'm mean. Lol. I'm glad you admire my cliffhanging skills. ;D Tee-hee!**

**Azaelia67 – I hope this was soon enough! Lol. I'm writing these chapters like crazy! Hehehe. ^.^**

**GreggoAddict – Man, I didn't shoot Blaine! It was all Karofsky's doing! Damn that Karofsky! I wanted to get you all off that cliffhanger, so I wrote this chapter as soon as I got some free time. =)**

**flamealchemist15 – That is a positive. Dave has been caught! But now we have to see if Blaine will be all right or not. =/ Evil, evil me…**

**elphaba-army – Indeed, another evil cliffhanger. Lol. I'm glad you appreciate my very mean ability. Lol. =D**

**Starsleeper – Aww, your statement about "Bear-cub" made me think of "The First Time" when he mentioned being referred to as a bear cub. In the show, I actually have a soft spot for Karofsky…lol. I guess it doesn't reflect in my writing, but I genuinely found my soft spot when he started the bully-whips thing with Santana. ^.^ Anyways, I tried to update as quickly as I could. =D**

**MiaLawrence – She did love Blaine. We finished disc 2 of Season 2 just a few hours ago and she got to see Blaine and she's happy to see Kurt happy. ^.^ Aww, your sister's sick? *Hugs* I hope she's all right! Coffee and DVDs are the best! That sums up the perfect day for me. Today it was a Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, a blanket and Glee for me! Yay for Klaine cookies! I hope you have a great week too, hon!**

**GLEEKfreak101 – We shall see, my friend, we shall see. ;P**

**stupidamericanidioms91 – I know. Cliffhangers are the worst! But yet…I love to write them. Teehee!**

**ohheyjessica – I know, I know, I really am not nice with those cliffhangers. Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – Awwww! So I'm not evil, then? Lol. I appreciate the compliment, you are way too sweet!**

**gleek101Obsessed – I'm glad to hear that I've got you on the edge of your seat! =D It means I must be doing something right. ;D**

**AisforAwesome – Lol, yes, I am being mean…but hey, at least I get you a pretty decently quick update, right? *Hopeful puppy dog eyes smile* Lol.**

**Man, you guys are not happy with those evil cliffhangers, lol. It's funny, as a reader I HATE cliffhangers….but yet I write them like crazy…I'm sick. Lol. Well hey; at least it was a quick update. Thanks for the reviews guys! Motivation has been great as of late! Much love!**

Chapter 16. "A Promise That Will Remain Unbroken"

_Kurt stared at the doctor in disbelief, it couldn't be true, it couldn't. The words had to be some form of a sick joke._

_"We discovered in surgery that the bullet tore clean through his heart. If the point of entry had just been a slight inch to the right, we could have repaired the damage. Unfortunately by the time we got him into surgery he had lost an extraordinary amount of blood and there was just no saving him. He flat lined on the operating table and we couldn't regain a pulse. I-I'm very sorry for your loss," The doctor said unemotionally as he must have been trained to do after probably giving this horrific news to a myriad of families before them.  
><em>

_Kurt's reason for being was over. He would never again hear Blaine's beautiful voice, feel the warmth of Blaine's arms around him, or feel the touch of his lips against his. It was all gone just like that. To hear that there wasn't even a glimmer of a chance of saving him destroyed Kurt. Blaine had been taken from him in the most violent of ways. It shouldn't have been like that; they were supposed to have been married for 50 years, had a family together and lived their life happily until the day that they were ready to part from this earth together. It wasn't supposed to be like this._

_New York, Broadway, their whole future was gone just by a few simple words. All for what? Karofsky? Kurt couldn't bring himself to think anymore. His heart already felt like it was going to explode; thinking about it anymore was going to destroy him more than it had already. He felt his throat constrict to an almost unbearable tightness as he attempted to battle the sobs that were determined to inhabit his entire being._

_"He's gone? Just like that?" Kurt whispered, the question coming out more as a statement._

_Mrs. Anderson let out a high pitched sob and buried her head into her husband's chest who was no longer trying to keep a brave face upon hearing the news that his one and only son was dead._

_Kurt looked from one person to the next as he took in their grief and felt smothered. He needed to be alone; he couldn't be here. As soon as Burt had placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, Kurt turned on his heal and ran straight for the elevator. Blaine was gone forever and Kurt was completely alone now. He just needed to get away from the hospital. Maybe that would make it seem less true? He sure it wouldn't, but he couldn't take in everyone else's grieving, he was too preoccupied with his own. He had to go somewhere; anywhere. He'd just lost Blaine, what else did he have to lose?_

Kurt came out of his daydream with a jolt. His breathing was erratic as he slowly pulled his mind back into reality. It had been a sick daydream, that's all it was. When the doctor had come out to deliver the news about Blaine he had to excuse himself for a quick minute to inform a nurse of something. In his absence, Kurt must have dreamt the worst possible outcome he could receive. He thanked the powers above that it had been nothing but a horrible hallucination.

Once the doctor had reappeared into the waiting room, everyone rushed over to hear the much needed news about Blaine. Kurt couldn't bear to breathe until he heard whether or not the love of his life was gone forever. He couldn't even fathom the thought of his daydream even potentially being a reality. He prayed that the Doctor just got on with it because even if he wanted to, he couldn't hold his breath forever.

"Doctor Edwards?" Mrs. Anderson asked tentatively through her tears. She was shaking like a leaf as Mr. Anderson held onto her shoulders as tight as he could. Kurt could see that he was trying to mentally prepare himself for the worst. His breathing was deep and his eyes remained unblinking as he stared at the doctor awaiting the news of his son.

"I have just finished the surgery on Blaine," He started, taking a deep breath. The audience was hanging on the doctor's every word.

"The surgery was successful; we managed to recover the bullet that had entered through his chest which miraculously missed his heart. He is really very lucky to have survived this. If the bullet hadn't have been off by an inch or so, most likely it would have entered his heart and I would have had to come out to deliver _worse_ news," The doctor finished.

"_Worse_ news?" Kurt caught the last words the doctor had said. To him, it didn't sound good.

"Currently, Blaine is in a coma. Whilst the surgery _was_ successful, we don't know for a certain fact if he'll wake up. He suffered a large amount of blood loss which caused his body to enter a state of shock. I remain hopeful that he will wake up and recover from this, but only time will tell if I'm right," The doctor went on with a hopeful look in his eyes.

A coma? Kurt felt his stomach flip as if he was on a never ending roller coaster. A coma that the doctor seemed _hopeful _that he would wake up from. Kurt had to count his blessings that Blaine wasn't dead, but at the same time, there was still a possibility that he could lose Blaine forever. A sudden wave of dizziness swept over him, thankfully his father was stationed behind him, otherwise he might have gone toppling to the floor. Thankfully no one had noticed; if they had, they'd probably instruct him to go home and rest, but there wasn't a chance in hell he was leaving this hospital.

"Thank you, Doctor Edwards," Mr. Anderson started, shaking the Doctor's hand gratefully. Even with Blaine in a coma, the man had saved his son's life. "When can we see him?"

"We've moved him from surgery and he is now in his own recovery room. You may go in now if you'd like, but for the time being, we'd prefer it be family only," Doctor Edwards replied before he left to have another word with a nurse.

Kurt felt his heart drop at the last part. He understood that it was only right that his family be the first ones to see him at this time, but felt downtrodden all the same as he was being denied to see the boy he loved. He turned around to go back to his seat as The Anderson's made their way over to the door but surprisingly they stopped before they went through it.

"Kurt, aren't you coming, sweetheart?" Mrs. Anderson asked before Kurt could manage to even take his seat.

"I-I'm not a member of your—"Kurt started but Mr. Anderson cut him off.

"Kurt, in our eyes, you _are_ a member of this family now. You've been here this entire time for Blaine like no one else has. The way he looks at you…is like if you disappeared, life would lose its meaning. I know that feeling, it's the exact same way I feel when I look at my wife," Mrs. Anderson took her husband's hand as he continued. "Whilst I never understood the love between the two of you, I _am_ learning and can see it now. We'd like for you to come with us," He finished with a light smile causing the skin around his hazel eyes to wrinkle. Blaine had definitely inherited his beautiful eyes from his father.

Kurt felt his heart swell at the words as he attempted to control the flow of tears streaming from his eyes. If circumstances had been different, he would have probably ran into Mr. Anderson's arms or something, but now wasn't the time. Instead, he smiled in gratitude and gave a nod as he turned to his father to tell him to go home to Carol and to await his call. Burt gave his son a hug and affirmed that he would do exactly that. Once Burt made his exit, Kurt went over to join the Anderson's on the journey to Blaine's room.

Once they arrived, Mr. Anderson pulled the curtains back revealing Blaine lying once again in a hospital bed, only this time, the circumstances were far more severe. He was in a coma that he could potentially not wake up from.

The Anderson's stayed together on the left side of the bed whilst Kurt walked to the other side. He lowered himself into the chair that was left by the bedside and took Blaine's hand in his on instinct; it was cold. Kurt bit his lip as his tears ducts once again betrayed him. Blaine looked peaceful as if he were only sleeping and would wake up, take one look at Kurt and ask him why he looked so upset. He was reminded instantly of when his dad had been in a coma. He could hardly believe that that had only been a year ago.

"I hate hospitals," Kurt muttered through his tears as he put Blaine's hand up to his lips and kissed it.

Mrs. Anderson grabbed Blaine's other hand as she sat down on the other side. Mr. Anderson remained standing behind her with his hands still placed in a comforting gesture on her shoulders.

"I never thought I'd have to see my baby in the hospital again," She said as tears of her own continued to fall down her cheeks. "In the past couple of years, we've spent too much time in hospitals. That first time from that dreadful dance and now all of this."

"He never deserved any of this…" Kurt stated softly as the very thought of Karofsky filled his mind. That bastard deserved every bad thing in the world to happen to him. Kurt normally didn't think this way, but given the circumstances, he was willing to change his mind for this occasion. He would never forgive Dave for preying on Blaine like this.

"I guess the only comfort now is that his attacker has been apprehended, so that _when_ he wakes up, he won't have to live in fear," Mrs. Anderson hesitated on the when, she had been ready to say if but her motherly instincts told her to remain positive.

"Karofsky won't come after Blaine again ever," Kurt muttered darkly.

If there was even a chance that Dave wouldn't be behind bars for a good long while, he would probably kill the asshole himself.

* * *

><p>"Kurt honey, are you sure you wouldn't like to go home and get some rest?" Mrs. Anderson asked when she and Mr. Anderson had returned from grabbing coffee from the cafeteria downstairs. She handed a cup to Kurt as she gave him a warm smile. Her eyes looked exhausted from all of the crying she had done all night. It had been a few hours that they had sat vigilant at Blaine's bedside. Kurt had spent the time on the phone as he had received some concerned phone calls from The Warblers asking how Blaine was doing and when they could come down and see him. He had just gotten off the phone with Jeff when the Anderson's had returned.<p>

Kurt had been filled in a bit more on what happened from Jeff and he was relieved to find out that no one else had been hurt. He kept it very brief and said that he'd rather that Blaine tell him more about the Karofsky thing. He also said that he and The Warblers would be by to visit the next day. Kurt looked up at Mrs. Anderson to reply to her question and began by shaking his head firmly.

"I can't leave him, I just can't," Kurt replied, taking the coffee gratefully and sipped at it. "I know that it's a school night, but I want to spend every waking hour I can by his side. I made a promise that I wouldn't leave him alone again. Not when he needs me most."

"Sweetheart, I'm sure Blaine would want you to sleep. He wouldn't like it if you were risking your health by denying yourself much needed rest just to sit and wait for him to wake up," Mrs. Anderson tried again.

"I wouldn't feel right leaving him. I made a promise that I will not break…not for anything in the world," Kurt responded as he suppressed a yawn.

Mrs. Anderson excused herself for a moment as she went to speak with one of the nurses. Kurt remained in the room alone with Mr. Anderson for company. He hadn't spent a lot of alone time with Mr. Anderson, but after the past months, he'd grown less and less anxious when he was in his presence. He no longer looked at Kurt with a mixture of reluctant acceptance and confusion.

"I meant everything that I said out there you know."

Kurt looked up at Mr. Anderson who was staring back into Kurt's eyes with sincerity.

"Sorry?" Kurt asked in confusion.

"Outside in the waiting room when I told you that I considered you family; I meant every word of it, Kurt. At first when Blaine came home and told me that he had met a boy named Kurt and was talking of you non-stop, I dismissed it as what I had referred to as his '_gay phase_'," Mr. Anderson continued appearing to be a bit ashamed by his words.

Kurt's cheeks warmed in a blush when Mr. Anderson mentioned the part about Blaine talking about him non-stop. He hadn't heard that before. He thought that in the beginning Blaine never even gave a second thought about him what with the whole Jeremiah thing, so he was pleasantly surprised at this news. Mr. Anderson smiled at Kurt's reddened cheeks as he continued.

"At first I didn't believe it when Blaine told me he was gay. I was hard headed and shall we say rather closed minded. I'm sure Blaine told you all about that summer that I had him fix that car with me?"

Kurt chuckled. "Oh yeah, he's mentioned that all right."

Mr. Anderson smiled in return as he combed his fingers unsuccessfully through his gelled hair; Blaine did the same thing when he was anxious and it was yet another silly tick he inherited from his father. "Yeah, it was most certainly not one of my brightest moments. I mean, I'm still learning, but I know now that what I did was never the way to go about it. I cannot control who my son can or can't love. Truth be told, I'll never know why I thought I could in the first place. Being gay just wasn't standard practice when I was growing up and having my son be gay was something that I was never prepared for. It came as a real shock to me when Blaine came out. There was never any indication that he was…I mean, he had girls around him all the time growing up…"

Kurt let out another chuckle at that. "In my experience, girls tend to cling to gay guys. From what I've been told, we make them feel safe and unthreatened. Plus, it doesn't hurt that we share um,_ similar_ interests. It's not the same for everyone, but it's more common than you'd think."

"Looking at it now, I suppose it makes sense, but at the time, it confused me. I never loved Blaine any less after he came out. I was just trying to make sense of it all. I didn't know what to do. I guess I was just trying to take the easy route out and see if I could…I don't know, make him realize he was straight after all. I know Blaine's harbored some resentment towards me for it," Mr. Anderson looked down at his son sadly. He took Blaine's hand in his own and held it tightly.

"I always wanted to tell him that I never meant to make him feel as if he'd disappointed me. He has never disappointed me, not one day in his life. How could he? He's tried so hard to be the _perfect _son: straight A's, well-mannered, respects authority, lead soloist of Glee Club, President of the debate team, how could I not be proud? I only hope that I can get the chance to tell him that," Mr. Anderson looked as if he wanted to cry as he gazed down at Blaine's comatose form. He let go of Blaine's hand and proceeded to place his hand over Blaine's forehead and brushed the loose strands of hair that had become un-gelled from his eyes.

Things grew silent as Mr. Anderson became increasingly lost in his own thoughts. Thankfully Mrs. Anderson returned before the silence had become too uneasy.

"Kurt, I spoke with the nurse and she said you are free to sleep in that unoccupied bed next to Blaine's. If I can't get you to leave Blaine's side so that you can get some rest, I'm going to make you get some rest here. I'm still a mom and want what's best for you. I also spoke with your father and he said that since we're here that it's all right that you stay. He said that he'll call you out sick for school tomorrow, but _only_ for tomorrow," She spoke sternly, but smiled at the joy she could see in Kurt's eyes. "He also made it abundantly clear that he too wants you to get some rest. We'll wake you if anything changes. Do we have a deal?"

Kurt responded with a tighter smile and gave in. "All right, I'll try," He replied as he stood up. He looked down at Blaine with a sad smile before he brought his lips down to Blaine's forehead. "Good night, sweetheart. I love you," He whispered softly before he climbed into the bed next to him and turned so that he was still facing Blaine. He closed his eyes and soon enough fell into a very uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Oooook! For once I didn't end it on an intense cliffhanger! YAY! Lol. I was so mean the past few updates. Lol. I'm sure I may have scared to guys with the way I opened this chapter, I'm mean like that…lol. Also, I know that normally there would be just the one bed in a hospital room, but I decided since it is fiction and Kurt won't leave the hospital that we would just pretend that another bed could be there. Kurt's gotta sleep! Lol. Well anyway, let me know what you think as always and we'll see if we can't keep this update trend going! =D<strong>


	17. Surprise Visitors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Very nice reviews, guys. I've found a little more spare time, so as a Thanksgiving treat, I bring you chapter 17. ^.^ Yay! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to eat lots of food, spend wonderful time with your family…and read this chapter…lol. I'm thankful for all of you guys!**

**-Casey**

**Reviewers:**

**theslytheringleek – Man, I don't know what I'm going to do when this story is finished, either! D= I do want to write another Glee story, but dear lord I don't have any ideas as of right now…hopefully an idea will strike me…or I should create a suggestion box…lol.**

**GLEEKfreak101 – Why sure, I'll wake Blaine up for you. *Takes Sue's megaphone and goes up to Blaine's hospital bed* "HEY BLAINE! GET THE FRACK UP!" Lol…maybe I should put Sue in here and have her do that…lol, I kid, I kid. =D!**

**MiaLawrence – Haahaha, I now dub Blaine "Sleeping Beauty". Lol. I like my version of the Anderson's too. Normally they're not very nice…and in this story, I just couldn't have that. Lol. Hope your week is starting off well!**

**flamealchemist15 – Nope, Kurt won't leave that room for nothin'! Lol. =D**

**tranghana – Hahaha, I got you! =P I'm so mean, but it turned out sorta all right…lol.**

**klainediva – You're very welcome. ^.^ Blaine does need to wake up like nowish…lol. I hope Karofsky gets what's coming to him, too! ;P**

**GreggoAddict – I loved writing the exchange between Kurt and Mr. A, it was cute and fun! =) I hope Blaine talks when he wakes up, too!**

**Starsleeper – Glee really needs to put Blaine's parents in…lol. I know we didn't see them, but I seriously HOPE they attended WSS, lol. I'm so honored by your compliments, thank you. =) I hope I can count on your wonderful reviews on my next Glee Adventure, too! 3!**

**Azaelia67 – I hate when writer's do that. XP I've been doing that with one of my stories…=P But it's been a run into the ground sort of deal and like no one's reading it anymore anyway…or at least not that I know of…lol. I should probably just slap a last chapter on that one and call it good. It's like the one story I never completed. But hey, at least I would never do that to you guys. ^.^**

**Klaine Lover – What a review! Lol. I always enjoy your reviews. I think I do need some more Warblers up in here. Lol.**

**riker-rocky-ross-lynchlover795 – I know! Isn't he just the most amazing boyfriend ever? ^.^**

**AisforAwesome – Oh no! My puppy dog eyes failed? =( Yes, a little break from the drama is good, but when there is no drama, there is indeed angst. ;D**

**Frances – We needed some mature adults after all that Blaine's been through, eh? Let's hope that Blaine shall wake up and Mr. Anderson can tell Blaine what he told Kurt. ;D**

**fanficloverme96 – You are the infinite badass you are. ;D You know, we have been lacking Warblers…and I think those guys need to come pay us a visit. Lol. And hahahaha I got you with the daydream, too! Teehee! I'm an evil one, I tell ya!**

**MadamMalkin93 – Yeah, I had a nice streak of cliffies there for a while, I thought I'd give you guys a break. Lol. Blaine does need to wake up, lol I miss him already!**

**LaLaLandFanGirl – Oh no! No panic attacks now! Lol. I'm so glad you love it!**

**Marie-Ruth – I know! My Mr. Anderson is amazing! =D**

**katieo97 – I really wanted to trick people with the first part of the chapter, apparently I succeeded. Lol. We shall see if Blaine wants to survive for us. ;D**

**Kilen – I'm glad to hear that! =D!**

**Wonderful as always you guys are! You make me so happy! So without further adieu, let's get our reading on, shall we?**

Chapter 17. "Surprise Visitors"

_Kurt sat in his seat rocking back and forth waiting for Blaine to make any sign of movement, just one sign._

_"Come on, sweetheart, you have to wake up. There are too many things you're missing out on." Kurt grabbed for one of Blaine's hands and stroked over it gently with his thumb. "It's been a year, Blaine. You've been in a coma for a year and the doctors are all losing hope. I'll never give up on you Blaine…you mean too much to me. Please sweetheart wake up for me please—"_

_Kurt was startled when he thought he saw a shift of movement from the bed._

_"Blaine? Blaine, honey?" Kurt gasped out as he stood up hesitantly. If there was movement, that meant-  
><em>

_Without warning, Blaine shot up from the bed and started screaming at the top of his lungs._

_"Dave, I need Dave!"_

_Kurt blinked in shock. Was Blaine _really_ asking for Karofsky after he had just been in a coma for a year? Kurt was filled with joy seeing his love wake from a coma that he thought he might never awake from, but he didn't like hearing Blaine call for his attacker. He had to be confused and disoriented because there was no way he meant what he was asking for.  
><em>

_"Dave? What? I'm confused, Blaine-"  
><em>

_"I need Dave!" Blaine repeated in exasperation. "He loves me and he'd never leave me! I need him now! Go away, Kurt; you don't love me and I certainly don't love you! GO AWAY!"_

_Kurt felt his heart shatter; he didn't know what to do. He hadn't given Blaine any reason to think this way. Why was he saying these things? He needed to go and get a nurse, but before he could, Blaine stopped him by grabbing onto his arm with a forceful grip that had actually begun to hurt._

_"You better be going to get Dave, Kurt or I swear-"_

_"Blaine, you're confused, honey…Dave is—"_

_"Not here! I need him! Go get him now or I'll fucking kill you, Kurt!"_

Kurt woke up gasping. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he was slowly trying to adjust back to consciousness. The consistent beeping of the medical equipment rapidly brought him back to reality as he once again became aware of his surroundings. Just to be sure, he snuck a quick glance over at the bed next to his; Blaine was still there with no sign of any movement being made since he last set eyes on him. Alas, it had been yet another nightmare plagued night. He hadn't been getting decent sleep for weeks due to the nightmares and it was really starting to get to him; however, this one was just bizarre. Blaine would _never_ speak to him like that much less ask for _Dave_ right after he got out of a coma. The part that really shook him was the fact that in his dream, Blaine had been comatose for over a year. It never had occurred to him that Blaine could really be in a coma for that long.

Kurt sat up and rubbed at his eyes. The hospital room was empty and silent as he grabbed his phone from the bedside table. 9:17 AM. Surprisingly enough, he'd gotten quite a few hours of sleep. He saw that he had a text from his father and opened the message. '_Called you in to school. Remember, just for today, kiddo. I want you home by curfew tonight. Call me if you need anything.'_ Kurt silently wondered if there was a way he could guilt trip his dad into getting him an extra day off if Blaine didn't wake up. Probably not, but it'd be worth a shot and he'd have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

Blaine's parents must have gone to work before Kurt had woken, which was fine by him. He had no intention of leaving Blaine until one of them came back and coma or no, Kurt was happy to have some alone time with Blaine. Kurt sighed and proceeded to leave the hospital room to use the restroom. If he wasn't able to get the next day off, he hoped that one of the Anderson's could stay with Blaine. He didn't feel comfortable leaving Blaine alone again; they'd done it once and look where it got them: another damn hospital.

As soon as he reached the restroom, he walked over to the sink, turned the cold faucet on and cupped his hands allowing the icy water to fill up as he splashed the water on his face. It made him feel better as the water dripped down into the sink, each drop washing away that horrible nightmare. He grabbed a paper towel and dried off as his body slowly but surely started to wake up. A shower would probably do him wonders, but he wanted at least someone in Blaine's room standing watch if he was going to go home and shower at any point.

He left the bathroom and headed straight back to Blaine's room. When he rounded the corner, he was met with some of the hospital staff who smiled as they walked past him. Kurt wished he could smile back, but that nightmare haunted him and he couldn't seem to lose his thoughts in anything else. He responded with his best attempt at a smile, which probably came out as some sort of weird grimace and hurried along until he was back in Blaine's room. He fell into his chair next to Blaine's bed and resumed his post from the night before.

He stared at his boyfriend with sadness plaguing his very core. He silently wished that Blaine could just wake up and forget all of the bad things that had happened to him. As much as Kurt hoped that he wouldn't wake up with a case of amnesia, Blaine did deserve to have no memory of all of the horrors that had happened to him. Kurt sighed deeply and reached out to hold Blaine's hand. _Just like in the nightmare_. He tried to shut the memory of that out and just be here for Blaine _when _he woke up.

"Blaine, sweetheart, it's me," Kurt began with a sad smile. "I spend a lot of time talking to people who are in a coma and let me tell you, it's not one of my favorite pastimes. Look, honey…we need you here. Not just me, but your mom and dad, the Warblers, we all need you. You being in a coma is killing us. We need you to wake up, please…"

Kurt scooted his chair closer so that he could rest his head on Blaine's bed as he guided his thumb over Blaine's hand. He sat alone in the silence for a few minutes just listening to the machines indicating that Blaine's heart was still beating. That beeping was what kept Kurt's heart beating. It was a constant reminder that Blaine hadn't died from that gunshot wound and that he was still here. He may be trapped in his own mind right now, but he was still alive and Kurt needed to focus on that.

"Hey Kurt," A voice sounded startling Kurt out of his thoughts.

Kurt picked himself up from the bed with record speed as he was surprised by the voice, albeit a familiar one. Once he saw the many red and blue blazers in the door way, his tension quickly turned into elation.

"Jeff…everyone, hi," Kurt greeted in surprise as he stood up to go and give everyone a hug as they all clumsily made their way into the room. David, Nick, Jeff, Trent and Thad were the ones who had been able to make it. The big surprise was when one other appeared behind them.

"Wes!" Kurt exclaimed as he enveloped the previous council leader in a warm hug. Wes had graduated and had been off to college, but he still kept in close contact with all of the Warblers. Kurt wouldn't be surprised if they skyped with Wes during Warbler meetings. He could even see the image of Wes, gavel at the ready on a screen with the Warbler's gathered around hanging on his every word.

"Wonderful to see you, Kurt," Wes replied as he returned his hug. "I heard what happened, well _most_ of the details anyway. I never thought anyone could be capable of doing this to someone like Blaine."

"A very sick person," Kurt responded with anger at the very thought of Dave.

"Has there been any change?" Thad asked as he walked over to Blaine's bed and rested his hand softly on Blaine's.

"No, no change as of yet. The doctor said that the surgery was successful, but Blaine lost a lot of blood which resulted in shock. They remain hopeful, but they said only time will tell," Kurt explained shakily as he tried not to cry in front of all of his former classmates.

"I wish we could have done more, but it all happened so fast-" Jeff started but trailed off with a look of sheer guilt on his face.

"You're not at fault, Jeff; I heard the phone call. I heard you and Nick and trying to get Dave to leave Blaine alone. You did all that you could, I'm sure of it. I'm extremely grateful that you two didn't get hurt as well," Kurt responded with sincerity.

Jeff nodded, seeming to take Kurt's words to heart and went to join Nick who had already made his way over to Blaine's bedside.

"So this...Dave Karofsky guy? Did they catch him?" Wes asked emotionless as he stared at Blaine's still form.

"Yeah, they caught him. What they're going to do with him, however...who knows?" Thad responded not taking his eyes away from Blaine.

The Warblers were all silent for a moment as they all took in their friend's condition. Everyone was shocked at the image of Blaine lying dead still in a bed. Normally he was so hyper and full of life. After all, it took all that they had to try and keep Blaine from jumping on the furniture during performances. This to all of them wasn't Blaine; it was a stranger.

"So, I'm confused, it's only like 10 in the morning yet, you guys are all here on a school day," Kurt stated just realizing what time it was.

"Kurt, we Warblers have always had our weird ways. It's like you think Dalton has _teachers_ or something," Jeff joked lightly.

Kurt managed a small smile at that. The Warblers really never did have a hard time getting off campus. Blaine had done it to confront Karofsky way back when and all of the Warblers had managed to get out to send Kurt off on the steps at McKinley when they had sang 'Somewhere Only We Know," He had to face it, The Warblers just had their ways.

"Man, what I wouldn't give to have Blaine get up right now and just say that this is all a joke," Trent said completely downtrodden, causing the mood to shift away from the lighthearted reprieve they just had.

"What I wouldn't give to hear him sing and see him jumping on all the furniture…seriously, this boy's like 5 years old with the way he handles furniture," Nick said with a small grin. "He still owes me a game of 'the floor is lava'."

"You know what I'd love to see? Blaine wake up and suck face with Kurt; that's always a sight for sore eyes," David responded with a sheepish grin at Kurt who playfully smacked at his arm.

"I would give anything for him to wake up with no memory of any of this," Kurt admitted, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

The Warblers all muttered in agreement that they would wish for the same.

"Is it true that if you talk to someone in a coma that they can possibly hear you?" Nick asked tentatively, not removing his gaze from Blaine.

"I've heard that it's possible, yeah. I talked to my father when he was in a coma and he woke up from it. I-I don't know exactly if that's _why_ he woke up, but in my experience, it doesn't hurt to try," Kurt responded, trying to keep the memory of his father in this same position as far from his mind as possible.

There was a few more moments of silence before Nick took Kurt's usual seat next to Blaine's bed and grabbed for his comatose friend's hand.

"Blaine? It's Nick-" He trailed off a little embarrassed at being watched, but continued regardless. "Look, man, we need you to wake up. You're one of our best friends; our leader and without you, we're nothing. Not just as Warblers, but as friends. We're really not complete without you. If you're not around, there's no one to be Captain Goober and at the same time keep all the rest of us goofballs in line. We need you here, Blaine."

"Blaine, Thad here," Thad joined in nervously and received an encouraging smile from Nick to continue. "The last time we saw you, you were a wreck and just weren't yourself. It killed us to see you that way, just like it kills us to see you like this now. We need you to wake up, Blaine…without you, The Warblers; your friends really are nothing. You gotta wake up, man."

"Blaine, it's Trent…" Trent began, stepping closer towards the bed. "I've always admired how you've been our leader and led us to do our best with everything we ever did. I remember the day you and I joined the Warblers together. I thought it was an awful idea, but you convinced me that it would be good for both of us because of what happened to us at our other schools. You changed my life by dragging me to that audition and you've _always_ been there for me with your confidence and compassion. I-I just can't lose a friend like that, so please wake up."

Trent wiped a few stray tears and allowed Jeff to come closer to say his piece.

"Blaine, buddy," Jeff started, taking Blaine's other hand and putting it to his mouth like a microphone. "Is this thing on?"

This elicited a few much needed chuckles throughout the room. Even Kurt couldn't help but crack a smile at Jeff's shenanigans.

"There's no option to _not_ wake up," Jeff stated with a little more seriousness. "We'd be lost without you, man. You're the one who encourages us all to be winners on stage and off and we can't lose that at _any_ cost. You're the best thing that ever happened to Dalton and we can't lose you. You're the magical leprechaun that keeps us all together and without you, we'd all fall apart...not to mention, we'd be short a leprechaun..."

David sensed that Jeff was going to go on some kind of strange ramble, so he interjected before Jeff had the opportunity to lead them all down a never ending tangent about magical leprechauns.

"Blaine, when you first auditioned for The Warblers, we knew we had found someone special," David began. "You were exuberant, energetic, and most importantly, passionate about what you were doing. You were every bit of what it means to be a Warbler and not just in rehearsal, you lived it. That's why we focused on you the way we did. Your light burns bright, brother and we just can't have that light burn out, you have to fight. You're needed here."

Wes had been smiling at all of the touching things everyone had said and seized the moment to add his share. "Blaine, if I had my gavel with me, which I kept by the way," Wes started with a grin that had Kurt rolling his eyes. "I would _object_ to your coma. You don't belong in that bed, Blaine. You deserve to be dancing around-even if it's on the furniture," That last remark was met with another laugh from the room. "You're full of life, Blaine. What happened to you was terrible beyond all comprehension, but you can't let it destroy your spirit or let a gunshot keep you from everything you have to offer to the world. The world couldn't handle the coldness if you left it Blaine, trust me."

Kurt couldn't help it, during the speeches tears had sprung from his eyes without permission and he was quietly sobbing as he listened to all of the beautiful words from his friends.

"Kurt, would you like to add anything?" Wes asked, placing a gentle hand on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt looked into Wes's caring brown eyes and gave a small nod. He sniffled and cleared his throat before he began to speak.

"Blaine Anderson, you're the world to me. You're what keeps me breathing through every day. Without you, I'm lost. It was you who pulled me out of my day to day terror and it was you who gave me the courage to stand up and not be afraid to be who I was. The first day I met you, somehow, I knew I loved you. You were the only thing I could see. If I lost you, I would lose myself, Blaine. I couldn't bear it if you didn't wake up. I need you, baby…I love you too much to lose you," By the end of this, Kurt was sobbing openly, being comforted by Wes who was rubbing comforting circles on his back.

"That was wonderful guys, I hope Blaine gets the message," David said with a smile.

"I think he heard us," Wes encouraged, with a warm smile.

The Warblers said their goodbyes to Kurt left to go back to Dalton before any of the _fabled_ teachers became too suspicious and Wes had to get back to the University, so Kurt was once again left alone with Blaine. He sat in his usual chair with Blaine's hand held firmly in his.

"It was nice to hear what all those guys had to say, I hope you heard all of it…it was really lovely," Kurt said softly hoping Blaine could hear him as well. "I know that they meant every word of it, too. You're so special to all of us, sweetheart."

Kurt smiled lightly as he stroked Blaine's curls out of his eyes. "I wish you'd free the curls every once in a while, all that gel isn't necessary. These curls are to die for," Kurt chuckled as they fell back onto his forehead.

Kurt glanced at his cell phone and saw that it was approaching noon. McKinley would be getting out in a couple of hours and a few members of the Glee Club had promised to visit. He really needed a hug from Mercedes. As much as he loved being by Blaine's side, it was killing him to spend day after day staring at him in this state. He wished that there was some guarantee that he would come out of this, but the statement"only time will tell," had him downtrodden. He had to remain hopeful; Blaine wouldn't give up on life without a fight. If there was a fact that Kurt was positive of, it was that.

"Courage, Blaine," Kurt whispered softly as he held Blaine's hand tightly to his chest.

* * *

><p><strong>One word: WARBLERS! I had to bring them back in. We were completely lacking Warbler time and I know that you guys needed some Warblers…plus, we needed all those heartfelt speeches…I mean, what if Blaine can hear them? It'd definitely help with the healing process. ;D Let's hope that he did hear them! Anyways guys, it'd be a nice Thanksgiving gift if you left me your thoughts! I hope everyone has a wonderful day! =D<strong>

**Much love…and virtual pumpkin pie?**

**-Casey**


	18. Doubts and Warm Embraces

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Guys! I'm back! Awful times have been had, let me tell you that! Well, nothing too trivial, but my computer had obtained a really nasty virus. D= From Tumblr of all places...There's a reason I don't normally use Tumblr, but darn it, people have some really cool Tumblrs that I like to look at, but this one was one evil Darren Criss Tumblr or something. It's technology's way of telling me that I love Darren too much or something. =P**

**Anyway, I got my computer fixed, courtesy of help from my brother. =) But then as life would have it, work kept me busy for the last few days, but now we're back in business! I'm very sorry for the delay, I hope no one feels abandoned. =( I could never leave you guys! It's been killing me not to update, but life just wasn't very kind to me these past 2 weeks. =P But hey, I'm back now and hopefully everyone's still loving the story! I've missed reading all of your wonderfulness!**

**It's gotten quite late so I'm going to one more time address all the reviewers in one, with the following: You guys are too amazing for freaking words! I will never get over how wonderful all of you are. So, let's have me shut up and give you Chapter 18. How's that sound everyone? =D**

**It's good to be back!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 18. "Doubts and Warm Embraces"

"Kurt?"

Kurt glanced away from Blaine after what seemed like only minutes of staring longingly, to see the one and only Mercedes Jones standing in the doorway.

"Mercedes," Kurt answered back as he practically flew into her welcoming embrace. She held him close and rubbed her hand soothingly on his back. He clung to her tightly, hesitating to let go as if she would disappear if he did. Just being held gave him a warm feeling from all the current emptiness inside of him. Without Blaine, he'd been feeling incredibly lonely. He hated to admit it, but even when Blaine was awake, he wasn't _really_ Blaine. Kurt longed for _his_ Blaine; the Blaine who would always hold him close and assure him that things were going to be OK.

Kurt couldn't help it, he broke right then. It wasn't that being in Mercedes' arms upset him; he just missed being held by Blaine. He missed Blaine more than words could express. It hadn't occurred to him how much he really missed him until now. Sure, he had been worried and scared for Blaine, but the emptiness was starting to hit him now. The boy lying in the bed wasn't Blaine. Yes, he was there physically, but spiritually and mentally, Blaine was gone. He was in there somewhere, but he was trapped behind a thick icy covered layer of pain and fear.

Hot tears spilled down Kurt's cheeks and onto Mercedes' jacket. He was so tired of crying, he wanted more than anything to be strong. He was struggling to reign the tears in and get himself together before he was a complete mess. She responded immediately by holding him even tighter. "Shh, it's OK, Kurt. Just let it out, sweetie," Mercedes whispered as she ran her fingers softly through Kurt's hair. Kurt sobbed softly into her shoulder as he clung to her. He mentally hated himself for breaking like this in front of her, but he really couldn't help it. Just being held by someone reminded him of the person he was losing and it killed him.

"I'm s-sorry, 'Cedes…" Kurt sobbed.

Mercedes pulled Kurt away slightly to look him straight into the eyes.

"What do you have to be sorry for, Kurt? Are you crazy?"

"I-I just…I'm losing him, 'Cedes…"

"I thought the doctors said there was a good chance he'd regain consciousness?"

"I-it's not that and yes, I hope for that, too," Kurt began as he fell back into his bedside chair. "I-it's just...when he wakes up, what if he can never come back from all of this? What if _my_ Blaine is gone? After all he's been through, what if I don't ever truly see Blaine again? I don't know if he can come back from this; it's not to say that I don't believe he'll wake up, I just don't know how he possibly can be himself again after all of this."

It wasn't that Kurt wouldn't be happy if Blaine woke up at any moment. He was just scared of what he would be like when he did. He knew it was selfish of him to think, but he worried about Blaine never being the same and after all that happened, how could Kurt ever expect him to be the? He knew if it had been him in the situation, he would have shut down completely. It had already been horrible enough to see Blaine as terrified and broken as he had been, but now that he had been put right back into another situation with his captor and had been shot as a result? How could he retain any semblance of normalcy?

"Kurt, you don't know if Blaine can't come back from this. Wasn't he the one always telling you to be strong? I don't take Blaine as the hypocritical type and I don't think you do, either. I think he's strong enough to fight and come back from all of this," Mercedes answered, sitting down beside Kurt.

"I'd like to believe that, but you haven't seen him recently. 'Cedes, I've never seen Blaine that way… so lost…so scared. It was as if he was five years old and was scared of the Boogey-Man in his closet. Quite frankly, I'd be worried if he came back from being as abused as he was with no repercussions from it. I'd like to pretend that Blaine is impervious to all the bad of the world, but it's an act he puts on. He's perfect in my eyes, yes, but deep down; Blaine has to fight to keep that 'the sun will come out tomorrow' outlook on life. He's strong for everyone around him, but when it comes to himself, I don't know how strong he is for himself. That's what worries me," Kurt responded sullenly, not taking his eyes from Blaine as he spoke.

He reached out and traced his fingertips lightly across Blaine's cheekbone. "You're so selfless, it's irritating," Kurt muttered to Blaine with a dry smirk.

"And you're so in love with him, it's sick," Mercedes replied at an attempt at a small joke, but her sadness was incredibly evident. "Kurt, even as much as I hate to say it, there's a chance that he _might not_ ever be the Blaine you knew ever again, but he'll still be Blaine and if I know you the way I know I do, you'll still love him."

Kurt was shocked by her statement. "O-of course! I could never _not_ love him! I-I didn't mean to lead on that I can't love him if he's not the same, I-I'm just confused," Kurt rambled.

"I understand Kurt," She responded, scooping Kurt's hand up in her own. "You never should have had to deal with a situation like this. It's perfectly OK that you don't know how to handle yourself right now. No one should have to figure out how to cope with these kinds of situations. I didn't mean to insinuate that there was a possibility of you not to love him; I'm just being the friend who offers encouragement and helps you see that there can be a positive light at the end of this tunnel. Blaine's going to wake up and he's going to wake up with the love of his life right beside him."

Kurt's eyes welled up again as he wrapped his arms around Mercedes. "I don't know what I'd do without you," He said as he laid his head on her shoulder.

"You'd be even more of a wreck than you are now, that's for sure," She chuckled as she held her best friend tightly.

"Knock knock?" Came a voice from the doorway.

Rachel walked hesitantly into the room followed closely by the "Frankenteen" himself, Finn. She held his hand tightly as she lead him into the room and together they drew a collective breath of shock once they caught sight of Blaine. Rachel placed a hand to her mouth and tried to suppress a sob as Finn just stood silently, completely unsure of what to do. Leave it to Rachel to be the more dramatic one, but Kurt couldn't blame her a bit. Seeing Blaine this way was an awful sight to take in and for once, her dramatic reaction to things was warranted.

"Keep it together, sweetheart…for Kurt," Finn whispered.

"It's all right, Finn. Rachel has a right to her emotions. If _everyone_ around me is strong, I'll feel weaker than I already do," Kurt offered sadly as he got up to hug them both.

"It's just horrible. It _looks_ like Blaine lying in that bed, but it doesn't at the same time. Without even seeing wounds, I can tell that there's something not right with him…he looks empty," Rachel spoke softly as she took a few steps closer to the bed.

"Blaine hasn't been the same since…before it all happened. Understandably so, but I just don't even know where my head's at anymore," Kurt sighed as he closed his eyes and placed his head into his hands.

Finn came over and held his brother's shoulders tightly as Rachel approached Blaine. She reached a hand out and brushed her fingers softly through Blaine's loose curls.

"It's funny, I'm so not used to seeing his hair without all of the gel," She said thoughtfully as she continued to brush her fingers through them completely taken in by the feeling.

"If Blaine was awake, he's be mortified that we've all seen him without his gel for longer than 5 minutes…or at least he _would've_ been," Kurt didn't know how to refer to what Blaine would _really_ do if he were awake right now. He'd probably completely freak out over all of the people in the room or jump out of the bed in fear from Rachel touching him.

"I have to admit, it's weird seeing him like this. The dude's normally so full of life," Finn admitted as he gazed down at the comatose Warbler.

Kurt just nodded sadly and placed his head back into his hands.

"You look completely drained and look like you could use some coffee," Rachel pointed out. "Lima Bean? My treat."

Kurt smiled lightly at her as dropped his hands down to his lap. "I appreciate it, but I can't leave him here alone."

Mercedes and Rachel shared a look of complete hopelessness, which surprisingly cued Finn to say something.

"You can leave this room for more than five minutes, you know. Staying in here isn't going to make the situation any better."

Kurt felt anger in his chest erupt from Finn's words and was about to snap at him until he took a second to realize that Finn was absolutely right. Kurt _wasn't_ making the situation any better for Blaine, he was trying to make it better for himself, really. He was certain he wasn't leaving Blaine's side due to the fear that he could be attacked again, but Karofsky was in jail right now; who else would be coming to attack him? Kurt felt guilty that he wasn't there for Blaine during the stand off with Karofsky and he was trying to remedy it by never leaving his boyfriend's side. Whether Blaine was himself or not, Kurt was sure that he wouldn't be too keen on the idea of him never leaving him alone. How was he ever expected to heal if Kurt planned on treating him like an infant who couldn't be left to their own devices?

Footsteps sounded breaking them all away from their thoughts as Mrs. Anderson walked tentatively into the room. She looked as if she hadn't slept at all since Kurt had seen her last. Her dark hair seemed to lack life and her eyes didn't hold the normal shine they normally did. The look of a troubled mother plagued with worry for her only child showed on every inch of her face.

"It's wonderful to see you all here for Blaine," She stated, breaking the silence that had befallen the room. Her attempt at a smile was light, but her effort showed. "I couldn't stay for very long at work; I just couldn't wrap my mind around any business. It's difficult to show off houses when your child is lying in a coma."

Kurt stood up and pulled her into a hug that she so desperately needed.

"I take it you've been here all day," She replied after the hug with a soft chuckle at Kurt.

Kurt nodded in response with a slight sheepish grin. "I didn't want to leave him alone."

"As long as he has you, Kurt, he's never alone," Mrs. Anderson stated matter-of-factly.

That statement made Kurt feel a little bit better. The motherly tendencies she offered towards Kurt were more helpful than she could ever have known.

Mrs. Anderson then introduced herself to Mercedes, Rachel and Finn which seemed to brighten the sorrowful situation slightly.

"Jonathan, my husband," She began to the other three who had never met Blaine's father. "Will be here in a couple of hours. He has a few more clients and then he'll be on his way. I think now would be a good time for you to go home for a little while, Kurt. You could really use a break from all of this."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him before he could even begin.

"At least go home for a shower. Just an hour away from this hospital is all I ask. You need some time away from this hospital room; it's killing you to sit there in that chair with nothing to do but stand vigil at his bedside, honey. I promise I will call you if there's any change," She insisted.

Kurt looked like he wanted to protest again, but she gave him her stern motherly look. "Please, Kurt, for me. Just for an hour at least. Some fresh air would be wonderful for you, I'm sure of it. Trust me, I'm a mom," She finished with a sad smile.

Kurt gave up trying to resist her plea and gave a hesitant nod.

"If anything changes—"

"I will call. I promise. Now go get some air, sweetie and I'll see you in a little bit, OK?" Mrs. Anderson replied, pulling Kurt into another hug.

Kurt followed his friends over to the door, but stopped in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder to Blaine longingly. He definitely wasn't leaving this room of his own accord, but maybe Mrs. Anderson was right, maybe some air and a shower would make him feel a little better. He doubted it, but he could at least try. Plus, he really did need to work on giving Blaine a modicum of space, whether he was aware of it or not. He really couldn't be glued to Blaine's side 24/7 and he needed to start trying to give him just that little bit of space.

* * *

><p>Kurt stepped out of the steaming hot shower feeling slightly better than he thought. He wasn't accustomed to abandoning his hygiene and most importantly his nightly facial cleansing ritual, but for Blaine, he would abandon everything. He rubbed a towel through his dripping hair and glanced at himself in the mirror. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes which were still red and puffy. All that crying wasn't doing his vanity any favors, that was for sure. Normally he'd be mortified by his appearance, but right now his concerns lie in far more pressing matters.<p>

He wrapped his towel around himself and exited the bathroom to get dressed into some fresh clothes. The feeling of freshly laundered fabric against his skin, courtesy of Carole, felt heaven sent. He would have to thank her for tending to his laundry that had desperately needed to be done.

He had just finished adjusting his tie when he glanced over at his bed where all his unfinished homework laid spread out and unfinished. A small studious part of his being was concerned about falling behind, but he could barely take his mind off of Blaine for .2 seconds. He'd have to make it a point to take the homework with him to the hospital to finish. He knew he had to go back to school tomorrow and if he didn't have his work done, boyfriend coma or no, he'd probably be in a world of trouble. Kurt didn't really want his teachers to throw him a pity party as it was anyway. He wanted to maintain his composure and do what he had to do. He enjoyed being allowed the day to guard Blaine, but he'd feel more respected if he carried on with as much strength as he could.

The sound of his phone ringing on the nightstand tore his gaze away from the dormant homework.

He felt his heart clench. He couldn't wait for the day when his phone ringing didn't send his anxiety into a frenzy. He longed for the days when it would just be a friend asking to catch a movie or talk about stupid teenage gossip. The feeling that the phone could bring horrible news was a feeling he didn't want to get used to.

He held his breath as he picked up his phone and glanced down at the caller ID.

_Natalie Anderson_

Kurt's stomach twisted into knots as he pressed talk on his phone.

"H-hello?" He answered as his voice cracked from worry.

"Kurt, honey? I realize you haven't been gone as long as long as I had hoped you could be, but I promised I would let you know if there was any change," Came Mrs. Anderson's voice.

Kurt waited for her to continue as he continued to hold his breath waiting to hear the worst: that Blaine wasn't going to wake up. His heart had given up and that he was gone forever.

"Jonathan's on his way from work now and it happened only a few moments ago, but Kurt, honey, Blaine's awake."

The joy in Mrs. Anderson's tone was enough for Kurt to release the breath that he had been holding.

"H-he's awake?"

"Yes, honey, just a few minutes ago."

"I knew I shouldn't have left," Kurt responded mentally kicking himself for going along with it.

"No, honey, it's all right. We couldn't have known when he'd wake up and you _needed_ a break. Kurt...he's actually talking. He's talking again, sweetie and he's asking for you."

"I'm on my way," Kurt responded, not waiting for any additional information.

* * *

><p><strong>OK guys, two words. <span>Blaine's awake<span>! I know you've all been waiting for this! And of course, as per usual me, I just had to leave it right there. =) Sorry that this isn't as long as I usually write, but boy oh boy do I need sleep! Now that my computer's virus free, we should be getting back to those regular updates again! It's been killing me to not update, it really has! =( But I'm glad to be back! Hope you all are still around and love the chapter! Let me know!**

**-Casey**


	19. What Do You Remember?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Wonderful reviews as always, guys. I was sad to see that we've lost some readers, but I'm sure that was due to my absence. =/ I'm going to address all of the reviews here again because I'm again writing very late into the night and am very tired. ;) One thing that stuck out to me was the fear that I might not have been continuing this. I could never leave you guys like that! Not after the road we've been down! Lol. I really hated that long hiatus. =( Plus, we still have things that need to be addressed…like what will Blaine remember after he wakes up…what will become of Karofsky…and most importantly…Azimio. We have a bit of stuff to go through here still.**

**So anyway, here's another brand new chapter for you guys. =) I really have missed all of you!**

**Reviews are as always, appreciated!**

**Much love,**

**-Casey**

Chapter 19. "What Do You Remember?"

The uncomfortable scratchy feeling of the sheets, the all too familiar metallic smell and what appeared to be the glow of florescent lights on the other side of his closed eyelids…Blaine knew instantly where he had to be. He was becoming all too familiar with every aspect of these awful hospital rooms. What had happened to him? He felt like he'd been out for weeks and he couldn't even muster the strength to open his eyes. He felt entirely too weak to even fathom a thought, which was fine by him; the longer his eyes were closed, the longer he could delay the inevitable reality he had to face.

As soon as he attempted to throw himself back into the peaceful oblivion known as sleep, that's when it all came rushing back: Karofsky, a gun…Nick and Jeff…Oh god, were they all right? What happened to them? Did Karofsky hurt them? All these thoughts went racing through his mind a mile a minute. Unfortunately, his blissful world of sleep would have to wait and reality would have to become a top priority. He needed answers and he needed them now.

Blaine opened his eyes.

"Blaine, sweetheart?"

Blaine knew that kind and caring voice.

"Mom?"

"Oh, honey, you're awake!" She exclaimed whilst grabbing onto his hand and holding it to her lips to kiss. "I've been so worried."

Blaine's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Do you," Mrs. Anderson began tentatively. "Do you remember anything, sweetheart?"

Blaine thought he did. He wasn't so sure. It was all coming back to him in bits and pieces. He was just starting to get his grip back on consciousness and was trying to piece together every detail in his mind like a jigsaw puzzle.

Blaine stared into his mother's eyes that were filled to the brim with tears. He felt his heart clench at the sight. He didn't want to see her cry over him even if it was out of joy. He gently pulled his hand out from her grip and brought his hand to her face to wipe away a stray tear from her makeup stained cheek.

"Don't cry, mom; I hate seeing you cry. Plus, you're ruining your mascara. "

When she looked back at her son, Blaine could feel all of her love just flow onto him. He felt more touched by his mother's emotion rather than the confusion he had felt before. How could he believe that his mother couldn't love him again after all that had happened? She had loved him and cared for him so much; he felt like a criminal to have even doubted it for a second.

Blaine was taken aback when he saw her eyes widen ever so slightly.

"Sweetheart…you're talking. You're actually talking to me," She spoke softly in astonishment. She laughed and wrapped her arms around him tightly as she cried into his shoulder with relief.

Blaine's eyes widened in return. He just realized that he had finally talked to his mom for the first time since his kidnapping. All of his communication to her since the whole ordeal had been written. He could hardly believe that he hadn't noticde that he'd been talking. At that moment, Blaine filed all his fear and pain away and just basked in the sensation of being awake and seeing his mom again.

Blaine licked his lips to regain some moisture on them, his throat was scratchy and raspy…how long exactly had he been out?

"Mama, how long have I—"

She carefully unwrapped herself from around her son and wiped a tear away with her palm. "You've been in a coma few days, honey. Do you remember anything from what happened?"

Did he? No, not really. He remembered bits and pieces…then a horrible pain in his chest. What exactly was that pain? The gun? What happened to Karofsky? Where was Kurt? His questions were endless, but he didn't have a lot of strength to ask all of them. What was really plaguing his mind at the moment was Kurt's whereabouts. Where was Kurt?

"Kurt," Blaine whispered.

"What was that, honey?"

"Kurt…where is Kurt?"

Understanding filled Mrs. Anderson's eyes. "Oh, sweetheart, he was here every minute at your bedside, but I finally convinced him to go home and take a breather. He didn't want to leave, but I told him it was best. I'm sorry you had to wake up without him here; I can call him, though. Would you want me to call him, sweetie?"

Blaine nodded wanting to give his throat some rest. Not only had he been in a coma for a few days, but his vocal chords had been quite a bit out of practice for a while now. He didn't know what this meant for the future and he couldn't exactly explain it, but he didn't feel as afraid to talk anymore. He didn't know how long this bravery would last, but he felt like taking advantage of it while he could.

Mrs. Anderson went to go make the phone call to Kurt as Blaine was left unattended in his bed. He was sure that his mom would also go and get a nurse; he hoped that when she did, the nurse brought a glass of water with her. His throat was killing him, not to mention a rather foreign pain in his chest. He carefully placed his hand on the woolen blanket and peeled it away from his chest and felt his heart jump into his throat.

There was a large incision in his chest that was now closed together by stitches, which he was certain would leave a horrible scar. He felt his heart rate quicken and his breath become a little hitched. What the hell had happened to him?

His mother returned, luckily with a nurse. She took in his appearance and quickened her pace to his bedside.

"Blaine, it's great to see you awake, are you in any pain?"

Blaine shook his head slightly, too shocked for any additional movement.

"No pain at all? That's good, but you look rather alarmed, did you perhaps see the incision?"

Blaine nodded slowly trying to calm down.

"W-what happened to me?" Blaine asked as loudly as he could with his raspy voice.

The nurse must have noticed it because she brought his attention to the glass of water on his bedside table. He felt stupid to not have noticed it before. He grabbed for it like it was the last glass of water he would ever be lucky enough to behold and took rather large sips of the cold water. He immediately began coughing as his throat rejected the liquid.

"Easy, easy," The nurse instructed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a straw that she began to unwrap. "I think this will make it a bit easier to take smaller sips. Not too much all at once, you don't want to make yourself sick."

Blaine responded with an uneasy smile as he gratefully took the straw from her hands. He dunked it down into the water and tried to sip at it again. She was right, it did make it a lot easier to take it slower.

"What do you remember?"

Blaine removed his attention from his water and sat up slightly, wincing a bit when the movement put strain on the stitches.

"Careful there. You don't want to pull out your stitches now," The nurse came to Blaine's side and pushed the button on his bed to adjust it so that he could sit up.

"I-I remember being at school...then_ he_ showed up out of nowhere and he planned to take me away again. Nick and Jeff were there and—Nick and Jeff! What happened to them?" Blaine asked in alarm realizing that he didn't yet have the answer to that question.

"They're fine, honey. They're both fine. They both came to visit you just this morning with the rest of the Warblers, "His mother intervened.

Blaine nodded with relief. They were both fine. Karofsky hadn't hurt them.

"It's curious that all of those private school boys got permission to get out of school to come visit at the same time," The nurse trailed off curiously.

Blaine couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. The Warblers were very good about getting on and off of campus. It was always a mystery to everyone, but they had their ways.

"What else do you remember, honey?" Mrs. Anderson asked getting back on track.

"Not a whole lot," Blaine started honestly. "I just remember him trying to carry me off, but Nick and Jeff wouldn't let him…then…he…"

That's when it all came back to him. Blaine had been ordered onto his knees in front of Karofsky right in front of Dalton.

_"I want you to tell me that you don't want to be with me!" Dave screamed the demand at the highest octave he was capable of.  
><em>

_Blaine didn't say anything, he just knelt silently and watched as his tears splashed into the grass beneath him. The cooler fall weather was causing the grass to begin to die. Blaine thought back to how beautiful it was once spring had arrived as the snow began to melt. All of that beautiful green; now it was dying a slow and merciless death.  
><em>

_"Say it!"_

_Blaine flinched at the loud scream that had wrenched him from his thoughts. This was it; he took a deep breath and responded in barely above a whisper, "I d-don't want to be with you."_

_Dave let out a heart wrenching sob as the sound of a gunshot sounded._

Blaine's brought his hands to his lips as he stifled a gasp of shock. Karofsky had shot him. That's what the pain had been, the reason he had been unconscious and the reason that he had an incision with stitches; the bullet had to have been removed. It all came flooding back to him now and it was all becoming clear.

The nurse and his mother looked at him in understanding knowing that he was beginning to remember what had happened.

"I—he—he shot me, didn't he?" Blaine let out in a whisper.

Mrs. Anderson's tears began to spill again as she slowly nodded.

"Yes, honey. You were shot, by that disgusting Neanderthal," She replied with a bitterness towards Karofsky.

It all made a lot more sense now. Blaine was relieved that no one had been hurt, but he also couldn't believe that Dave had actually shot him. He knew he was capable of a lot…but attempted murder? Blaine shouldn't put it past him. There was a lot of things that Dave was capable of that he never could have imagined before any of this.

"What—what happened to him?" Blaine asked focusing his attention on his blanket.

"He's in police custody with no bail. Many witnesses saw what happened and the police caught him at the scene," Mrs. Anderson answered her son's question with all of her anger at Karofsky extremely evident. She was usually very good at hiding her anger from everyone; Blaine had gotten that trait from her. He and his mother always kept their composure unless something completely brought them over the edge; she had to be absolutely _livid_ to be letting her guard down like this.

"Will there be a trial?" Blaine asked.

"Let's not focus on all of this just now. For the time being, I just want you to get some rest and heal, sweetheart. Don't let that…_thing_ keep you from that, too," Mrs. Anderson responded as she attempted to hide away her anger and remain composed.

Blaine knew this process well; he had to use it often, so he grabbed his mom's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to offer his support, which caused her to calm down a lot quicker as a result.

He was distracted from his mother when footsteps and a soft whimper sounded from the doorway.

Blaine looked up and his eyes landed on him. His beauty mesmerized him and blocked out all the negative energy from earlier. His presence was like a light had just begun to shine, filling the room with a scintillating glow. His ocean blue eyes were shimmering with tears as he gazed at Blaine from the doorway.

"You're awake," Came his beautiful ethereal voice. It soothed Blaine to his very core to hear it.

He responded by slowly stretching his arms out towards Kurt.

Kurt took the hint and ran to Blaine. Once he got to his side, he carefully fell into Blaine's arms, careful to avoid the healing wound on his chest.

"I was so scared that you wouldn't wake up," Kurt sobbed.

Blaine gently stroked Kurt's hair as he held him and felt him begin to slowly relax in his arms like a bowl of melted butter.

"And never get to see your face again? How could I not wake up?" Blaine asked softly.

Kurt froze causing Blaine to feel somewhat anxious. What was wrong? Kurt then pulled away slowly and stared at Blaine in shock.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Did I do something wrong?" Blaine asked, beginning to panic.

Kurt surprised him by looking shocked one moment and the next he let out a squeak and burrowed into Blaine's arms once again.

"You're talking again! And…and… you're Blaine!"

Blaine was confused by that statement.

"I've _always_ been Blaine," He responded in confusion.

Kurt pulled away again and without wanting to lose contact, decided to grab onto both of Blaine's hands instead.

"I understood why, but before…you weren't yourself and I was so scared, Blaine. So scared that I'd lose you forever; not just physically, but mentally. I never knew if I'd see the old you again, but-but here you are!" Kurt exclaimed with tears of joy streaming down his face.

Blaine felt his heart drop. He had let his fear get so out of control that he had hurt the people who mattered to him most. He shouldn't have been so afraid; he shouldn't have let himself. Kurt needed him to be strong; he had known that and yet he had scared Kurt anyway. He felt very disappointed in himself. He tried very hard to keep any tears from falling, but his eyes were stinging as they began to fill with water.

"I'm…so…sorry, Kurt," Blaine began looking down in shame.

"What? For what, Blaine?"

Blaine continued to look down at his blanket as the guilt began to consume him, like he was falling into a deep black hole. Kurt's pale hand reached to his chin and softly pulled his face up so that their eyes connected.

"What on _earth_ do you have to be sorry for, sweetheart?" Kurt asked with his usual compassionate tone.

Blaine hadn't noticed until now, but the nurse and his mother had left the room, obviously to give them their alone time. Blaine was thankful for that; he didn't want to look over to his mother now and feel guilty over how much he had scared her, too.

"I let my fear get the best of me. I'm usually so good at hiding my insecurities, but this time I let them take over. I should have been stronger, I shouldn't have been so weak, I should—"

Kurt cut Blaine off by placing a finger onto his lips. He looked very serious, which shut Blaine up in an instant.

"That…is absurd Blaine Anderson. You were _never _weak for even one second. To go through what you did and still manage to live from day to day is stronger than any person in the world could be expected to be. You, Blaine, are the strongest person I've ever met in my life. I was scared that I was losing the old you, but even if I did, I would still love you. How could I not love someone as brave as my boyfriend who had unimaginable things happen to him and yet, he still came back to me. I'm so very lucky to have you, Blaine. You're my knight in shining armor and I love you so much. Don't for one second think that you were ever weak. You haven't been weak a day in your life," Kurt spoke with immense sincerity.

Blaine couldn't help it, he was so enamored with Kurt's lecture that he couldn't formulate words; he just leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kurt's. This was the first kiss that they had shared since the night he was taken. It felt like fireworks were dancing around them as they held each other close and familiarized themselves with each others lips once again. He had missed feeling Kurt's lips on his and the very feeling of them chased away all of the disgust from the last kisses he was forced to endure with Karofsky. Kurt's warm lips knew his so well that they were completely in sync; sure they were both a little out of practice from how long it had been, but they were beginning to find their way back.

"I've missed you," Kurt breathed softly as he nuzzled his head into Blaine's neck.

"I've missed you," Blaine repeated as he wrapped both of his arms around Kurt. "I won't leave you again, I promise."

"This is probably the most _disgusting_ display I have ever seen."

Kurt pulled out of Blaine's embrace just as he looked up to see Azimio standing in the doorway.

Blaine felt his stomach churn. Azimio…how could he have not thought of Azimio? It wasn't exactly a surprise that he would come here after his best friend had been arrested for the crime they both had committed against Blaine.

"Azimio, what the hell are you doing here?" Kurt asked coldly.

"I came to talk to your little boyfriend. Care to give us a few minutes alone, lady-boy?"

* * *

><p><strong>Typical Casey, right? Have everything all sweet and happy and of course a problem has to make its way in, eh? What does Azimio want, hmm? What's going to happen? We might just find out if we want to leave Casey some reviews letting her know how she's doing. ;D Tee hee, well let's me know how things are going guys and hopefully we can get another update here sooner than later! Much love to all of you!<strong>

**-Casey**


	20. The Deal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note: Guys! I'm so terrible! I'm so sorry! With all of the Holidays, I've been so crazy busy! I didn't mean to leave you like I did, I feel awful! I read a couple of reviews asking me not to give up on the story, which I had no intention of doing, I just got to busy. =( I hope you all aren't super mad at me. But anyway, here's a chapter to take us off that incredibly long and unplanned hiatus. =P**

**Also, love to all of my reviewers, you all still remain the best!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 20. "The Deal"

"I'm going to give you a choice here, Azimio. One: you can turn around and walk out that door, or two: stay here and be _forcibly_ removed. Either way, you're leaving," Kurt spat at Azimio with a cold and calculating look to boot.

Azimio stared Kurt down in response with an ice cold expression.

"Oh, and who plans to forcibly remove me? _You_? I can lift you and throw you across the room with one finger, lady-boy, plus, you wouldn't want to break a nail now would you?"

Kurt clenched his fists so hard to the point that his nails were digging into his palms, leaving little crescent moon shaped marks in their wake.

"I'm not giving you an option anymore, leave _now_," Kurt seethed through gritted teeth.

"They…they have Karofsky, you know."

Both Azimio and Kurt were surprised to hear Blaine speak during this tense showdown. Blaine stared at Azimio with fear etched clearly in his puppy dog eyes, but he was trying to be brave for Kurt; he didn't want to let Kurt down anymore. He couldn't be a victim anymore, even though his fear was screaming at him to hide under the bed and never come out again.

"They what?" Azimio inquired in an eerily calm voice. It was as if he had no idea what had occurred at Dalton only days prior. He was probably trying to cover his own ass as if he had nothing to do with anything that had happened to Blaine.

Blaine didn't respond. He was fighting his inner fear who kept telling him to shut the hell up and just sit there and not move whilst his brain was telling him to jump out of the bed and kick the shit out of Azimio. Blaine surrendered to the fear and sat silently not daring to say another word. Besides, what made him think he could possibly take on Azimio? If he couldn't before the attack, then he certainly had no chance now.

"I find it hard to believe that you haven't heard the news about Karofsky," Kurt said, his tone oozing with doubt.

"I ain't seen my boy Dave in like a week, why? What's going down with him?" Azimio asked playing the part of oblivious well.

"Hmm, I don't know, what's going down with him? He's currently in jail for what he's done to Blaine, so I guess the better question isn't what's going down with _him_, but rather who he's going down _on_," Kurt said with a bitter laugh. He didn't know for sure if jail was really a place where you were forced to go down on guys just so that you didn't get your ass kicked, but Kurt decided he'd go with the stereotype anyway. "But, I find it hard that you don't already know that. It's all over town, and Dave's your friend, after all."

"I've been out of town visiting my grandma, old lady's dyin' of cancer," Azimio offered as an excuse.

"This still doesn't explain why you won't leave and why the hell you're here in the first place," Kurt pointed out.

"That's between me and Blaine, lady, so mind your own business."

"What you want with Blaine is my business and after what your pal did to him, I see no reason for you to be here at all. Now just get the hell out of here, I mean it."

"I ain't gonna hurt the fag, lady-boy, I just need to holla at him alone. 2 minutes, then I'm out. I don't want to catch the gay, anyway," Azimio said, not taking his eyes off of Blaine.

"No, now leave," Kurt warned, completely committed to living up to his threat.

"Look, Lady-boy, if you don't let me talk to him for just 2 god damn minutes, I'll—"

"Kurt, I—I'll talk to him, it's OK…"

That surprised Kurt and Azimio both when Blaine spoke up and agreed to speak to Azimio alone. Kurt however, was quick to respond.

"Blaine, sweetheart, there's not a chance in hell that I'm leaving you alone with him, I'd slit my own wrists first and I'm wearing Ralph Lauren, so blood would ruin my ensemble. So the only choice is for him to get to walking."

"If I agree to talk to you, will you leave us alone after I do?" Blaine asked quietly not breaking his gaze with Azimio.

Blaine was terrified to be alone with Azimio, but he felt that if they made him leave now, they'd be seeing him again in the future. If Blaine made a deal to speak to Azimio now and he swore not to come back again, it would make things simpler.

"2 minutes and I'm out, like I said," Azimio responded back at Blaine.

Kurt looked like he was about to protest again, but Blaine gazed at him with his tired eyes that were silently telling him that this had to be done.

Kurt grimaced and bit his lip. He really didn't want to take his eyes off of Blaine in fear that Azimio would do something to him, he didn't even know why Azimio was here in the first place.

"2 minutes," Kurt reluctantly agreed. "But I'm waiting by the door and if I hear you make one false move, Azimio, I will smack you down like the hand of God and you'll wish you had left when I asked you to."

Azimio laughed but immediately began to stifle it, "I'm sorry, lady, the threat's just funny but there won't be any foul play here. Just a quick word, then I'm out."

"2 minutes," Kurt repeated as he vacated the room. His legs didn't even want to carry him out the door. What the hell was Azimio up to anyway? Kurt decided that he would listen in; he didn't trust Azimio with an ounce of his life. It's not like Azimio and Blaine were long lost friends who had to have a private conversation amongst friends. So Kurt left the door open a crack and looked in on the interaction.

Azimio walked over to Kurt's vacant chair and took a seat.

"So…what do you want with me?" Blaine asked so quietly that Kurt could barely tell that Blaine had spoken at all.

"I came here to say I'm sorry that things got out of hand…I never meant for things to go as far as they did," Azimio explained.

Blaine sat in silence not believing what he was hearing. An apology? He hadn't been expecting one and truth be told, he didn't want to hear one because he couldn't accept it. Who _could_ after they went through all of that? Karofsky had been the one who kidnapped him and kept him as his pet in his closet, but Azimio _had_ been an accomplice. He had beaten Blaine and stood by idly knowing that Dave had been keeping him hostage and did nothing to stop Dave from raping him, either. In fact, he had encouraged it; that in Blaine's mind made him equally guilty.

He just nodded; he couldn't form a single word to respond to this half-assed apology.

"If that's all, I-I would prefer it if you could leave now," Blaine stuttered, trying to hold his grip on his courage. It was wavering every second he was alone with Azimio.

"Not so fast," Azimio interjected. "I came here to make a deal with you."

Blaine blinked in surprise. A deal? What kind of deal could he even offer? What's more, what kind of deal would he offer that Blaine would even consider accepting?

"What kind of deal?"

"Dave kidnapped you and kept you locked in that closet, right? He's the one who forced himself on you and abused you."

"That's true, but you did your own share of abusing yourself," Blaine stated, surprising himself with how forward he was about it.

"So I knocked you around a few times, big deal. You're tougher than that ain't you?"

"It was more than a few times," Blaine spoke softly. "You hit me with a belt, Azimio. You punched me, kicked me and whipped me over and over again and you wouldn't stop."

Kurt had to place a hand against his mouth to stifle his sob as he overheard Blaine's words. Sure he knew that these acts had been performed on Blaine, but it made them so much more real to hear them coming straight from Blaine's mouth.

"It was for your own good."

It took every ounce of Kurt's strength to not run back into the room and start whaling on Azimio, whether he did any damage or not didn't concern him. Azimio just needed to feel one ounce of the pain he had caused Blaine. He could hardly believe that the jock was trying to justify his actions by telling Blaine that he deserved it. It made him sick to the point of wanting to vomit but he stayed put as he hung on every additional word that was playing out, waiting for the words that would send him over the edge.

"For my own good?" Blaine surprisingly laughed softly as he repeated Azimio's words. "You told me it was for my own good two years ago when you beat me back at Westerville and those words aren't any truer now than they were then. You _like _it, Azimio. You like to cause people pain and hide behind the justification that you're trying to _help _people. You-you're sick."

"I ain't sick!" Azimio shouted louder than necessary as he sprung out of the chair. His hands were balled into fists as if he was preparing to beat Blaine on the spot but he took a second to take a breath and sat himself back down. "Jesus, Anderson, you've always known how to get on my last nerve."

Blaine responded with a simple shrug as he tried to keep himself calm. His heart was racing and he was scared to death, but he couldn't back down now. He finally had a chance to stand up to Azimio and he was taking the moment now that he had it.

"Look, Anderson, you want the pain and torment to end? All those things that I did will be a thing of the past if we just call a truce. If you agree that Dave acted alone with no assistance from me, you won't hear from me again," Azimio offered simply in a tone that sounded like Blaine would be a fool to not consider this offer.

"Y-you'd just bail on your own friend like that? Let him take the full blame?"

"As far I'm concerned, he did the most damage to you. He's the one you should be really pissed at."

Blaine felt nauseous. His head was swimming at this offer. He couldn't believe that Azimio was willing to pin all the blame on Dave to save himself.

"I-I thought that we already had a deal. You'd leave us alone if I agreed to talk to you."

"Yeah well, I never actually agreed to that, did I? Now the cards are all on the table; you say that I was never there and we'll be cool. I'll even leave Lady-Boy alone at school if you agree to this."

"His name is Kurt."

"What?"

"H-his name. It's Kurt, not _Lady-Boy_," Blaine repeated.

Azimio smirked and laughed a dark laugh. "All right, Tinkerbell, whatever. I'll leave you and _Kurt_ alone if you got my back here."

Blaine licked his lips and tried to clear his dry throat. "And…w-what if I—What if I refuse to take you up on your deal?"

"Well, let's just say that Kurt could how we say…meet with an accident?"

Blaine felt his lungs constrict. It was like Dave all over again. Dave and Azimio both knew that Kurt was his weak spot, if any threat went towards Kurt, Blaine would do whatever it took to remove him from harm's way. He couldn't believe that he was being threatened with Kurt's well-being again. His head felt like it was going to explode as all of the trauma coming back to him. It was never going to end was it? He was going to constantly be putting Kurt in danger due to these psychotic neanderthals. He felt his breathing quicken as Azimio's form was starting to fade in and out. _'C'mon, just focus,' _Blaine commanded himself, trying to get himself to calm down and handle the situation, but his efforts proved fruitless.

"Yo, what's wrong with you? You can't fuckin' pass out on me! You need to let me know that we got an understanding!" Azimio yelled, grabbing Blaine by the shoulders.

Blaine had stayed attentive long enough to see Kurt burst in through the door behind Azimio with an onslaught of Doctors and Nurses behind him. He felt Azimio's grip on his shoulders loosen as he was pried away from him. Not even a second later, Blaine surrendered to the dark world of unconsciousness.

Kurt watched in shock as Azimio was pulled unwillingly from the room. A few nurses stayed behind to attend to Blaine. They had to usher Kurt out of the room as well while they checked on Blaine. He didn't want to leave the room now, but he understood that he was safe now as he made his way to the waiting room. He wanted to slap himself for agreeing to let Blaine be alone with Azimio. He knew there was something wrong and if he hadn't been listening in, this could have gone further south than it already had. As soon as he heard Azimio threatening Blaine with Kurt's well-being, he took off for the front desk to request help and asked for someone to call the police.

Kurt took a seat out in the waiting room watching all the action unfold as the doctor's held on to Azimio waiting for the police to arrive. He could feel Azimio's glare fall on him as he sat alone in the waiting room. Kurt returned the gaze with an ice cold gaze of his own. He shouldn't have been surprised that Azimio had played a part in this. If Dave had been involved in something this heinous, naturally he couldn't have been too far away from the action. What really surprised him was that Blaine and Azimio had a past. When Kurt had gone to Dalton and Blaine had informed him about all the torment he'd received from his previous school, it had been Azimio that he'd been referring to.

The timelines matched, too. Azimio had been a transfer student during their sophomore year; Kurt had known that from all of his work in the school's office. During his free hour, he had taken on being an office aid and when Azimio had been transferred in, Kurt had been given his paperwork to file. He had broken a major rule by glancing through Azimio's file and learning that he'd been expelled from his previous school for a massive assault he took part in during a school dance.

Now it all made sense. Kurt couldn't recall the name of the school that Azimio had been expelled from, but now that he thought about it, Westerville High School sounded right. Of course at the time, it meant absolutely nothing to him. Azimio had been expelled for the assault he and his friends had done to Blaine; he felt his stomach twist as all of the pieces were starting to come together. This was some form of sick and twisted fate, if Azimio hadn't beaten Blaine in the first place, he might not have transferred to Dalton which in turn would have lead Kurt to finding no salvation when he first went to the school. He was thankful that he _had_ met Blaine but he really wished that the circumstances were different.

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts when he started to hear shouting. He blinked up in surprise as he caught sight of the action. One minute Azimio was standing complacent in the doctor's grasps, _too_ complacent that even the doctors had let their guard down and just like that, Azimio wrenched himself from their hold and raced towards the back exit. Kurt didn't even have time to react to what was happening; it happened and was over before anyone had time to fully react to it.

"Someone stop that kid!" Someone yelled, but it was too late. Azimio was gone.

The police had shown up about five minutes later to pick up Azimio, but he had been long gone before they had arrived. The hospital staff who had attempted to chase after Azimio weren't able to catch up to the football player after he had his head start. Kurt was certain that they would catch him sooner than later. There was really no where he could run where he could hide forever. He would be caught and he too would join Dave in jail for all of the damage that he had done to Blaine.

A couple of police officers remained in the waiting room to guard Blaine's hospital room in case Azimio were to return, but even Kurt knew that was doubtful. Azimio wouldn't come back here after the scene he had caused. He'd be an idiot to try and even though Kurt thought very little of Azimio, he knew that he at least had enough common sense not to even attempt to come back to the hospital. The remaining police officers left to scower the streets and the issue was radioed in with Azimio's description. If any officer found him, they were instructed to arrest him on sight.

Kurt sat alone in the waiting room with his head in his hands as he tried to catch his breath. Would this nightmare ever be over?

* * *

><p><strong>I really didn't leave you guys with a very happy chapter did I? Hmm, I'm sort of at a cross road here…I can end it within the next two chapters or so, or I could keep writing with the other ideas I have. Not sure what I want to do yet, but with the ideas I have in mind, I can either end it or keep writing with some stuff that I have in mind...hmm, something to definitely ponder. Sorry it was also semi-short, but I wanted to get an update out, but it also has become a very late night. =P<strong>

**So anyway, thoughts, comments, smily faces? =D Also, since I didn't get a chance to say it before, I hope you all had wonderful holidays! =)**

**-Casey**


	21. The Decision

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

***Shifty eyes*Hi guys…I know, I know, you hate me! I hate me, too! Life decided to happen and I left you for longer than anticipated! I swear, I definitely didn't mean to. What's way cool is one of my best friends began reading this story and after texts and facebooking, she hounded me for an update and got me to finally sit the hell down and WRITE. Guys, I've been meaning to write this out for weeks, really, I have. Luckily, I've gained back my writing muse and am ready to once again provide my regular updates for this story! No more hiatus's…we get enough of that from the actual show…lol. So, without further adieu, the much anticipated chapter 21! Yayyyyyy!**

**Also, as always, reviews are extremely beneficial to my being, feedback is always the best! I've missed you guys!**

**Casey**

Chapter 21. "The Decision"

Kurt allowed his fingers to wander absentmindedly through Blaine's curls as he watched over his boyfriend's resting form. Blaine, whilst unconscious, looked far from peaceful. The stress and constant expression of fear had etched an all too permanent familiarity within his features making him appear to be so much older than he was, yet the pain and torment had also seemed like it aged him backwards. It was all a mess that Kurt didn't know how to begin scratching the surface of. He blinked a few times to try to keep his focus straight; he felt like he hadn't slept in days and all of the mental fatigue was starting to catch up with him.

He had been sitting protectively at Blaine's bedside for hours after Azimio had ran off, not bothering to move for anything or anyone. He was also too stuck in his thoughts to leave._ 'All right world, are you finally going to let Blaine be? Hasn't he had enough of your sick game?_' Kurt thought to himself bitterly as he tenderly brushed the curls back from Blaine's forehead which immediately fell back into place after the fact. He had overheard that Azimio had been found hiding in the park about 5 miles from the hospital and was now in police custody so there was at least one positive in this whole situation.

"Kurt?"

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts as he took in his father's form in the doorway.

Kurt retracted his hand from Blaine's hair and rubbed at his eyes that at the current time were burning from lack of sleep.

"Hi dad," Kurt greeted sleepily.

Burt took a few hesitant steps into the room and took in his son's form for a minute before speaking.

"You're comin' home with me, Kurt. You look ready to drop at any second."

Kurt stood from his chair and felt his legs groan in protest; he hadn't stretched them in hours.

"I would come home, but what if—"

"Blaine wakes up?" Burt finished with a chuckle as he took in Kurt's shocked expression from his dad precisely finishing the words he was about to say. "Kurt, you're my son, I know full well you would camp out in this room for weeks if you could but the truth of the matter is, you need some rest. You look dead where you stand and you know and I both know that Blaine would want you to take care of yourself. You standing guard by his bedside isn't doing anyone any favors, least of all you. Just come home for the night, get some sleep and if you want to come back in the morning I won't stop you. Just do yourself a favor and take the night for yourself; you need it."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but he quickly realized that he couldn't offer a proper rebuttal. His dad was right and he knew it.

"You're right."

Burt raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Kurt managed a small grin, but it was lacking the normal Kurt Hummel spark. "You're right," Kurt repeated, nodding his head for added effect.

"Kurt, I was expecting to throw you over my shoulder and drag you out of here. You're gonna give me another heart attack from shock, kiddo."

"Normally that would be the scenario that would play out, but you're right. I'm so tired and stressed that I can barely see straight. I need to get out of here for at least one night…it's just—dad, I'm just so tired," Kurt fell back down in the chair. "I just don't know what to do. I want to be strong for Blaine but, it's getting harder and harder. As soon as I think I have things under control and think they're going to get better, something else happens. I'm just so scared; Blaine was always the strong one and now here I am trying to be strong for him. I don't know if I can anymore, dad. I look at him suffering and I'm just so scared. He's so fragile right now and I'm trying so hard to be strong for him and I-"

Burt didn't hesitate, he closed the distance between himself and Kurt and he pulled his son right out of the chair and enveloped him in a fierce and much needed hug. Kurt cried into his dad's chest until he felt dehydrated from the lack of water in his system. All the while Burt kept muttering things like, "Shh, it's going to be all right, let it out, let it all out." His father's jumpsuit from the tire shop was soaked from all of the crying, which Kurt felt a bit guilty about, but right now what he needed more than anything was for his dad to hold him and tell him everything was going to be all right.

"You needed to let that out, buddy," Burt encouraged as he brushed a few of the stray tears from Kurt's cheeks. "You've been stronger than you think."

Kurt didn't think so, he felt as if he was letting Blaine down with his weakness. He wanted to be what Blaine had been for him in the past, but he doubted his ability. On top of it all, if he could go one day without crying, he would love an Oscar for his efforts because it seemed that every time he turned around, he was crying. He had never cried this much in his life; he really wasn't a crier by nature, but all of this had made an emotional wreck of him and he honestly didn't even know who he was anymore at this point.

"Thanks for the compliment, dad, but I don't think I could ever live up to the strength Blaine gave to me," Kurt admitted with a sniffle.

Burt placed his hands on Kurt's shoulders and held him so that they were seeing eye to eye. "Kurt, relationships are all about balance. Both parties need to be there for one another. Blaine was strong for you when you needed him to be and now you're doing the same for him. Don't doubt what you've been doing for a second. I haven't seen a stronger man in all my time aside from the man standing before me."

Kurt felt his heart swell at his father's words. Hearing that his father was proud of him made him feel a little less doubtful of himself.

"Dad, I'm just so scared that I'm failing him," Kurt let out in a whisper.

"Kurt, this is something that no one should have to go through. You're handling it with bravery well beyond your years and it's going to be a tough road ahead, but from what you've shown me, I think everything will end up right in the end; just give it time," Burt finished as he led his son from the room to take him home.

Blaine lay in bed not meaning to eavesdrop, but as soon as he had woken up, he heard Kurt and Burt having a discussion and didn't want to interrupt anything by his waking up. He hadn't been meaning to listen in and he really wished that he hadn't. He felt his heart shatter while Kurt cried; nothing was worse than seeing or in this case hearing him cry and in this situation it was far, far worse because he was crying over _him_. Hearing that Kurt didn't feel like he was strong enough for him was something he had never expected to hear and in all honesty, it destroyed him.

He opened his eyes and stared out at the now vacant room, his hazel eyes blinking back tears from the exchange he had just witnessed. It broke his heart to hear Kurt talking like that, he couldn't stand the fact that Kurt felt as if he was failing him. Blaine wanted to hit himself for not being strong enough through this and placing the entire burden on Kurt. He wanted to spring up from the hospital bed, run after Kurt, pick him up in his arms and swing him around until they both got dizzy, all the while telling Kurt that he was better now and that he would take care of everything.

Blaine wished that he could do that more than anything, but he couldn't. He was still torn to pieces inside and as much as he wished he had made progress with his healing, he hadn't even made a dent. He wanted everything to be right again; he wanted to just get out of the bed and go home as if this was all just some horrific nightmare, but unfortunately that just wasn't his reality. He couldn't help the burning tears of frustration that were leaking from his eyes. He had to do _something_; Kurt was breaking from the pressure of being at his side on a constant basis.

It came to him like a slap in the face, in that instant Blaine knew what he had to do. If he couldn't be better for Kurt, he had to make it seem like he was. Facades came naturally to him. He was known for his ability to pretend that he had a firm grip on everything; he had told Kurt so a year ago on Valentine's Day. He kept the pressure and pain from his past hidden from everyone: the teasing, the bullying, the feeling of failure when he came out to his dad, the Sadie Hawkin's Dance, the pressure of being a leader for the Warblers. Putting on a brave face came naturally to him and he could do this for Kurt…he _had_ to do this for Kurt. He had nothing left to lose; he had made his decision.

* * *

><p>Kurt woke up from his comatose state feeling better than he had felt in weeks. He knew he had been tired, but it had truly been put to the test as soon as he had arrived home. Without a word he had gone straight upstairs, fell onto his bed. and passed out as soon as his head had hit the pillow. He couldn't even remember the last time that he properly moisturized before sleeping, that is if he actually slept at all. He could feel the dryness of his skin as his face moved against the pillow and cringed. He definitely had to moisturize once he had taken his shower.<p>

He sat up and stretched as he glanced at the clock: 12:57 PM. Kurt's eyes widened in surprise; he had been asleep for nearly 16 hours. He couldn't remember ever sleeping that long in his entire life, even when he was sick. He was sure that the record for most sleep he had gotten in once night was maybe 12-13 hours due to being sick, but _never_ 16. From how he felt today, he knew his body was thanking him for finally letting it rest. He also felt relieved that he hadn't woken up in that chair at the hospital; that chair had never made for a comfortable sleeping arrangement. He was also immensely grateful for the fact that it was Saturday. If it had been a school day, he wouldn't have felt nearly as well as he did. He knew his school work was suffering these past few weeks and he knew he couldn't afford to take any more days off; not during his senior year.

Kurt pulled back the comforter and made his way to the bathroom to take that much needed shower. As soon as he got in, the hot water immediately began to ease and loosen his tense muscles and washed away all of the stress of the prior day. He felt like there was a weight being lifted off his shoulders and washing away with every drop of water. While he scrubbed at his face, his father's words echoed back to him: _Don't doubt what you've been doing for a second. I haven't seen a stronger man in all my time aside from the man standing before me._ His father thought he was handling everything well. For some reason when his dad said so, it seemed like a fact rather than an opinion.

He finished up in the shower, wrapped a towel around himself and tentatively glanced at the mirror to take in his appearance. He didn't look nearly as haggard as he had the past few days. The bags under his eyes had mostly faded and his face looked immensely more lively than it had in weeks. Kurt smiled lightly and wasted no additional time as he began his daily moisturizing routine; he could feel his skin thanking him as he helped it begin to rejuvenate. He hadn't realized how rough his skin had started to become before today, but it made sense: no moisturizing leads to rough, dry skin.

After he had thrown on some skinny jeans, a sweater ensemble complete with a tie, and his black combat boots, he felt like he was ready to finally take on the day. He made his way downstairs and found the whole family gathered in the kitchen. Carole was at the stove cooking something that smelled like it descended from heaven, his father was drinking a cup of coffee and looking over a mechanic's magazine and Finn was just sitting at the table jabbering about McKinley's 32-4 win at football the night prior.

"Good morning, sweetie!" Carole greeted when she noticed Kurt's presence in the kitchen. Kurt smiled back in response as he made his way over to fix himself a cup of coffee. It was after one in the afternoon, definitely a bit late to be considered morning. He was appreciative of the sentiment and the availability of coffee.

"How you feelin' kiddo?" Burt inquired, glancing up from his magazine.

Kurt finished pouring his coffee and joined his dad and Finn at the table. "Well, for sleeping 16 hours straight, I should say I'm feeling a million times better," Kurt replied, sipping at his steaming coffee.

"16 hours? Damn, dude!" Finn exclaimed, wide eyed.

"Kurt needed the rest," Burt explained to Finn. "I'm glad to hear it, kid, you looked about ready to keel over last night and your body needed it."

Kurt nodded in response. As Carole brought over steaming bowls of what looked and smelled like vegetable beef soup with freshly made bread.

"Oh my gosh, Carole, this looks so delicious!" Kurt exclaimed in surprise by the effort it must have taken to make it.

"Well, you've had a hard week and since you were still asleep and missed breakfast, I thought I'd do something special for lunch," Carole explained with a smile.

Kurt gratefully gathered up his spoon, scooped a large portion into his mouth, and felt his taste buds explode.

"This...is...amazing," Kurt confirmed as he took a bite of the bread that evidently was still fresh from the oven. Carbs or no, there is nothing like freshly baked bread. Kurt ate in record time and felt even better than he had when he woke up that morning if it were even possible. He felt like a whole new person and ready to take on any challenge that came his way. The person he was yesterday cast nearly no reflection as to who he was today. He couldn't believe how run down he let himself get but it didn't matter now; he felt as if he could take on the world.

As soon as lunch was finished, Kurt made his way to the key rack and retrieved his car keys. "I'm going back to the hospital for a while. I'll be back a little later," Kurt announced.

"Here, honey, I wrapped some of the bread and soup for Blaine," Carole called as she picked up the containers from the counter and handed them to Kurt.

"Remember what I said yesterday, Kurt," Burt reminded him with a look of sincerity.

Kurt nodded with a grateful smile and left for the hospital.

As soon as Kurt arrived, he felt a little less certain of himself as he had felt before as he made his way down the depressing hallways he had become too familiar with. He greeted the hospital staff that he had also become too familiar with. He felt his confidence falter more and more with each step to Blaine's room, but he kept repeating his dad's words in his head and he felt a tad stronger. He was a new person today; the Kurt Hummel from yesterday was gone and he was ready to be the shoulder that his boyfriend sorely needed.

Blaine was awake; as soon as Kurt entered the room, he found the smaller boy sat propped up in his bed reading his old worn-out copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Kurt felt the corners of his lips twitch into a smile. He placed a hand on his hip and smiled down at the boy he loved with every ounce of his being.

"Don't you ever get tired of reading the same book over and over?" Kurt teased.

Blaine jumped as soon as Kurt announced his presence; he was still very jumpy and was usually very attentive to the motions of the room, but he had been distracted as he was caught up in his book. As soon as he identified that the words belonged to Kurt, he smiled and took a breath.

"Prisoner of Azkaban never gets old, Kurt," Blaine shot back with a smirk. His hazel eyes shined with more life than they had since before he was taken.

Kurt looked back in surprise. Blaine sounded exactly like his old self, apart from that quick look of fear he had seen when he walked in, he never would suspect that Blaine had been through what he had in the past months. As he looked into Blaine's eyes, he could see there was still a lot more hidden deep within them even if it didn't appear so on the surface.

"If you say so, honey," Kurt responded, masking his surprise as he made himself comfortable in his usual chair. He dug into his messenger bag and pulled out the containers that Carole had given him and a spoon. "Carole thought you might want a break from all of this hospital food…" Kurt explained, pulling out the tray to set the food on for Blaine.

"Aww, how sweet. This hospital food really does get old after a while," Blaine responded taking the spoon from Kurt with a warm smile and began to eat the soup.

"Delicious, isn't it?" Kurt asked.

"Mmm," Blaine responded, in between bites.

Kurt remained silent as Blaine ate probably the best meal that he had had in the past week. Kurt couldn't help but smile slightly at how elated Blaine looked to be eating something that hadn't come from the cafeteria down stairs. _If he hadn't been attacked at school, he wouldn't be forced to eat this hospital food again._ He felt himself frown as the thought crossed his mind. He really needed to stop beating himself up for that, but it was difficult. He had known that it was a bad idea to let Blaine go back to Dalton, but he had allowed it anyway. _You _allowed _him to go back_?_ Since when did you become so controlling? _Kurt felt at war with his thoughts; Blaine must have noticed Kurt's demeanor change as he glanced over at him and his lips mirrored Kurt's frown.

"Are you all right?" He inquired, tenderly as he put the spoon down and placed his full attention on Kurt.

Kurt couldn't help himself, he let out a dry laugh, which initiated a look of confusion from Blaine.

"You're asking _me_ if I'm all right? I should be asking you that," Kurt explained.

Blaine shook his head and took one of Kurt's hands that had been resting on his lap into his own. "I'm fine, Kurt."

Kurt gazed into his eyes and thought differently. "Blaine, you've seemed to have pulled a complete 180 overnight. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you so lively, but it seems almost too good to be true," Kurt admitted, glancing down at the tiled floor sadly. So much for feeling like a whole different person today. Leave it to this damn hospital to suck the life out of everyone who entered it.

He wasn't staring down at the floor for long, because soon his face was being inched upward again by Blaine's other hand tilting his chin up gently.

"Hey," Blaine said softly, "I'm all right, you don't have to worry. I'm—I'm getting better, I really am."

Kurt smiled, but it was laced with a trace of sadness. "I'm glad, sweetheart, but it just seems like too much too soon. I know you're amazing and you can do anything, but it's OK to be scared. I know I have been."

Blaine looked lost in thought for a moment which Kurt took as an opportunity to keep talking.

"You don't have to be strong for me, Blaine; I can be strong for _you_."

Blaine smiled at Kurt as if what he had said was the silliest remark he had ever heard. "I know you can and you have been. You've been amazing, Kurt, really. You've blown me away with how supportive you've been while I've been—just...you've been nothing but wonderful, but I'm getting better and I just want to get things back to the way they were before all of _this_ happened."

Kurt couldn't help it, but despite Blaine's admission, he got the feeling that Blaine was no where near as better as he insisted he was. He wasn't Blaine and he didn't know what he was feeling so all he could do was guess.

"All right, sweetheart. Just know that I'm here for you always, whether you're better or not. I can take care of you, I can," Kurt insisted.

"And I appreciate it more than you'll ever know," Blaine responded, placing Kurt's hand that he had still been holding to his lips and kissing it softly.

Kurt closed his eyes at the feel of Blaine's lips. A part of him basked in seeing the old Blaine again: the expressions, the mannerisms, the everything. It felt so wonderful that he wanted to give in to the idea that Blaine was 100 percent himself again. He never wanted to let go of the feeling that everything was all right again and he had never felt more selfish.

"I've missed you, Blaine," Kurt whispered with a lone tear running down his cheek. He kept his eyes shut as he got lost in the feeling of Blaine's hand in his. He thought he had said the sentiment to himself, but when he heard Blaine respond, he realized he had said it out loud.

"I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, Kurt. I promise I won't leave you ever again."

* * *

><p><strong>Hmmm, quite an emotional roller coaster of a chapter methinks. Soooo, what did you guys think? Man, I've missed writing this story. It felt nice to sit and write a new one. I was just so busy and lost where I wanted to go, but I've found it again and hope you guys enjoyed it! It's great to be back! So, review and let me know what you thought, or you can just review to let me know how much you want to kill me for leaving you, either way, I'd love to hear from you as always! And as per usual, Reviews = inspiration! =D Also, I feel my writing muse has returned! *Cheers*<strong>

**Casey**


	22. Unraveled

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Allllllllrighty! Everyone ready for another thrilling chapter? I know I am! ;D I won't waste too much time in one of my boring AN's, so let's just cut to the chase and get on with Chapter 22, eh? ^.^**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews guys, as always I love to read everything you have to say! Also, I have to thank you all for your loyalty to the story even when I pulled my disappearing act on you. Anyway, let's get on with what you all really want. Chapter 22!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 22. "Unraveled"

It seemed like it was taking an eternity for the doctor to glance over the novel that was Blaine's patient forms. Kurt stared down at his cell phone marking the minutes since the Doctor had arrived. It had been over five minutes of "Hmm's" and the sound of page after page being flipped.

"Well, your vitals look good, Mr. Anderson. I think you're more than ready to get on out of here, aren't you?" The doctor inquired giving Blaine a knowing look over the rim of his large eyeglasses.

Blaine had kept the same smile plastered on his face the entire visit; it practically screamed: _I'm cured, I swear, now get me the hell out of here._

Kurt grimaced at Blaine and his evident façade. Did Blaine _honestly_ think that Kurt couldn't tell a fake smile from his genuine one? A 100% Blaine smile was the most beautiful thing; it had the power to tell him that everything would be OK in the world. He was pretty sure that if Blaine truly wished, he could cure cancer with just a flash of his pearly whites. Kurt felt conflicted; he was thrilled to see Blaine being himself again and he wanted more than anything to give into the lie and bask in Blaine just being Blaine but the fact that it wasn't real made it impossible for him. He wanted Blaine, the real one; not a figment of one.

Kurt had allowed himself be swept up in it that first day when he came to visit with the soup but every day thereafter, it seemed to be getting more and more suspicious. It was like Blaine was going out of his way to try to be _himself_. Clearly Blaine didn't really know himself well, otherwise he'd realize that he was way over-doing it. Kurt knew that he was good at putting on a brave face in order to stay afloat and get things done, but this was a whole other level. There was no way that Blaine could be _this_ good at hiding his pain and truth be told, Kurt was sure everyone else could also see how fake his act was.

Blaine looked over at Kurt who remained staring down at his cell phone as if it had the answer to all of the world's problems. He was startled when he felt a warm hand grab and squeeze his one unoccupied hand. He glanced up and his eyes met two hazel orbs that were screaming with concern. One thing Blaine couldn't fake was the look in those eyes. They said everything. Kurt pulled his lips into something that should resemble a smile, but it too was far from genuine. If Blaine could attempt to put on a façade that everything was fine and dandy in the world, so could Kurt. The look in Blaine's eyes told him that he didn't believe this little act for a second.

"I'll schedule you for a checkup on those stitches next week, let's see here...does Tuesday work?"

Blaine nodded in response at the doctor's question, but didn't pull his gaze from Kurt who had gone straight back to staring down at his phone.

"We're all done here, Mr. Anderson. As soon as your parents arrive and sign you out you'll be free to go. Just take it easy; no strenuous moving or lifting of any kind, we clear?"

Blaine nodded again in the same fashion, but glanced away from Kurt for a second to flash the doctor a grin to show that he got the message.

As soon as the Doctor left and he was sure they were alone, Blaine spoke up.

"You seem a bit off today, everything OK?"

Kurt let out a deep sigh, placed his cell down and rubbed at his tired eyes.

"Why would anything be wrong Blaine? Is there a reason for there to be?"

Blaine chewed at his lip. "You're quiet. Something must be up."

"It's nothing," Kurt responded, squeezing Blaine's hand in his own and planting a quick kiss on his knuckles.

Blaine knew Kurt was lying and something was bothering him, but he didn't push it. He didn't want to start a fight with him; the last thing he needed was for Kurt to be mad at him and leave him all alone with his thoughts and nightmares.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Blaine."

Soon enough, Mrs. Anderson arrived to pick Blaine up. When she stepped into the quiet room, she looked a little put off. She didn't know what she expected, but silence wasn't it. Not after Blaine had begun speaking and acting like himself again. She had been sure that Kurt would have been so excited to hear Blaine acting like his old self again that his attention would be focused entirely on Blaine rather than the cell phone glued to his hand.

"Ready to go, sweetheart?" She asked tentatively taking in Blaine's confused expression and Kurt's expression that was caught somewhere in between longing and frustration.

"Absolutely," Blaine confirmed with a reassuring smile at his mother.

It warmed her heart to see that smile. The boy living in her house since he'd been found wasn't her Blaine and she felt as if she had just now found him. She planted a smile on her face to match his and went off to fill out the necessary paperwork. She could hardly wait to get him home and have things start to return to normal. After all of these horrific events, she could use normal; the whole family could.

* * *

><p>"What do you think, Warbler Blaine?"<p>

Blaine looked up from the very interesting spot on the floor that he had been fixated on the entire 20 minutes they'd been assembled to find Nick and the rest of the Warblers staring at him expectantly.

Blaine had been trying to focus on the meeting, but Kurt had been commanding his full attention. It had been a few days since Blaine had seen him and he was growing a little paranoid. What if Kurt didn't want to see him anymore? Had he put him through enough and he finally realized that he deserved better? He couldn't think this way, Kurt just had to have been busy, that was all. No sense in getting himself worked up about it, plus he was trying to get back to normal and what he was doing wasn't normal. He needed to pay attention to this meeting.

Blaine had only been home for a week before he had once again managed to convince his parents to allow him to return to Dalton. It hadn't been nearly as easily as the first time around.

_"Mom, dad, I want to go back to school."_

_Blaine had been trying to work up the courage all throughout dinner and he finally just came out with it. He had been building a rather impressive igloo out of his mashed potatoes while he had been rehearsing the whole scenario in his head. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to convince them to let him go back. If he couldn't get back to a normal routine, there was no way he was going to be able to keep up his charade. If he was stuck at home all it was going to do was give him more and more time to think about everything that happened and then there would be no chance at any form of normalcy._

_"You're joking right?" Came Mr. Anderson's reply after a good thirty seconds of shocked and awkward silence._

_"Oh, honey, no. I don't think so," Mrs. Anderson responded sipping from her wine glass delicately._

_"I have to, mom. I can't just stay at home. I need to be where—"_

_"Blaine, your mother's right. We went through this a few weeks ago and I'm sure you've noticed that it didn't go so well," His father chimed in._

_"I have to go back to Dalton, I have to. If I stay home, I won't feel normal. I don't want to be locked away like I'm Quasimodo or something. I just need to get my life back. They can't hurt me anymore. Their trial date is over and they're both in jail so I'll be fine this time. I just want to be normal again. I think if I can get a routine going again, it will help so much more than the therapy ever could. Please let me go back to Dalton," Blaine pleaded working his best puppy dog eyes. His mother was such a sucker for the puppy dog eyes. They'd served him well in nearly every situation, but he was pretty certain this might be the one and only time they'd fail him.  
><em>

_"I just don't think it's the best idea, sweetheart. I'd feel much better if you were home safe and—"_

_"Physically I'd be safe but mentally? I'll lose my mind being home 24/7, mom," Blaine interrupted. "I want things to be normal for me and for all of us. I can't do that while I'm being kept away from the world like some fragile endangered animal. I need to get back to the way things were, only then can I put this behind me and I mean-come on, don't I look better? I'm better, I swear; let me prove it to you."_

_"The answer is no, Blaine. I won't allow you to have one more trip to that hospital," Mrs. Anderson spoke clearly._

_"There won't be another trip to the hospital," Blaine insisted. "You were at the trial, mom. Azimio and Karofsky are in _jail. _No one else wants to hurt me, especially no one at Dalton. I had more of a chance of being attacked at McKinley which is why I gave up on that whole transfer idea. I'll be safe at Dalton, I always have been before and you know that's true."_

The trial had taken place while Blaine was still in a coma. The judge had decided that Blaine's presence was unnecessary and impossible due to the medical circumstances. He had agreed that the evidence against Azimio and Karofsky was astronomical and ultimately condemning so they had proceeded with other testimonies and the pictures the police had taken of Blaine's injuries. They found Dave guilty of 1 charge of kidnapping, 1 charge of attempted kidnap, 1 charge of assault, and 1 charge of attempted murder. Whether the attempt had been accidental or not, Karofsky had been carrying a gun that was not licensed to him and had ended up pulling the trigger. The charges got him a 7 year sentence in the State Prison, he received the minimum sentence due to having no prior charges against him and the fact that the murder attempt hadn't been predated.

Azimio however, had only two charges against him: resisting arrest and assault. These charges earned him a one year sentence in the county jail. He too had no prior convictions, received a plea bargain and testified against Karofsky in order to get his sentence reduced. Both of which were fine with Blaine. Jail would probably do the both of them some good he hoped. Prison would be a lot tougher on Dave than jail would be for Azimio he was sure due to the major difference in time they would serve and the obvious differences in holding facilities. Regardless, Blaine planned to be far away from Ohio before the two of them would be released which was a major relief.

_"I really don't like this idea, Blaine. Can we please just try the home schooling like we discussed?"_

_"Mom, please; this is what I want. Can we please just give it another shot?"_

_Mr. and Mrs. Anderson glanced at each other trying to read what the other was thinking. After a few minutes of silent deliberation, Mr. Anderson spoke up._

_"I'm not wild about the idea, Blaine. I still don't think you're ready to take on school, but if it will make you happy and make you feel more at ease, then I guess it couldn't hurt. I truly hope I don't regret those words this time around."_

_Blaine smiled as if he had just been told Christmas had come early. "You won't, dad, I promise!"_

"Warbler Blaine?" Nick repeated, trying to catch Blaine's attention.

"Sorry Warbler Nick, what was the question?"

"We were nominating you to take back your commanding lead for Regionals. We barely scraped by Sectionals without you. It's a wonder that we somehow tied with New Directions again."

Blaine had spaced that Sectionals had even occurred, with all that had been going on, he'd forgotten that it was nearly mid December and Regionals would naturally be right around the corner. He also couldn't help but feel very guilty about taking away Kurt's focus for Sectionals. He was thrilled that New Directions and The Warblers had tied, but he wondered how much of a burden he had placed on New Directions when he had commanded so much of Kurt's attention these past few months.

"Um yeah, I'd like that," Blaine agreed as he saw Nick's expression light up.

"We don't want to put too much pressure on you. We know that you just got back and all and may not be ready for that kind of-" Trent babbled, but Blaine put a hand up to end his tirade.

"I'd be honored guys. I'm honestly just trying to get back to normality and a Regionals win would probably fit the bill for that one," Blaine admitted.

"Aww, yeah!" Jeff roared in victory. "We are going to crush the New Directions this time around! Sorry Blaine, but Kurt chose the wrong side to be fighting on this time!"

Blaine smiled in response and couldn't help but wonder what this conversation would have been like if things had gone according to plan. He had been planning on going to McKinley for his senior year with Kurt which he had never gotten the chance to tell The Warblers that he was even considering. What would Regionals had been like then? He couldn't stop himself from thinking of all the 'what if's'?

"I think we should do Uptown Girl!" Nick voiced his opinion which jump started the song nomination process.

The excitement in the room heightened as all the Warblers began deliberation on what songs they should do whilst Blaine's mind was once again led astray as he thought back to Kurt.

* * *

><p>"Kurt?"<p>

Kurt was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Mr. Schue's call for his attention. He didn't reply, but instead waited for Mr. Schue to repeat whatever he had to say.

"I was just asking how you felt about taking a solo for Regionals," Mr. Schue offered with a smile.

This caused Kurt's sullen expression to melt completely. He felt his hands grow clammy and his heart begin to pound in excitement. He couldn't recall even being offered a tiny line in a song much less a solo. His time with the Warblers was his first shining moment for competition and he had never expected he'd get the spotlight again anytime soon. It didn't mean that he hadn't _planned_ to fight for it again but his mind had been otherwise preoccupied, so he hadn't even considered campaigning for it.

"A solo? Me? What about Rachel?" Kurt asked eying Rachel and trying to gauge when she would begin her fight for the spotlight.

"I've already spoken with Rachel and Finn and they are going to take the duet. We've agreed that you've more than earned your chance for a solo," Mr. Shue replied.

"What you really mean to say is, you sat Rachel down and gave her the long speech that it was only fair that if she took the duet, then someone else should have a chance for a solo," Kurt reiterated for Mr. Schue who proceeded to smile guiltily.

"That's pretty much the sum of it Kurt, but I do believe that you have every right to that solo and you'll make us proud," Mr. Schue responded with a confident nod as he began to write 'REGIONALS' on the white board.

"I'd also like to point out that whilst I _am_ upset about losing my solo, I'm happy that Kurt will be the one filling the gaping hole in the audience where my voice should be. Kurt, you have my blessing," Rachel announced astonishing the entire room, Kurt included.

Kurt didn't respond, but instead, shot her a smile. For maybe the first time ever, he felt a warmth in his heart for Rachel Berry. Even though he was thrilled to finally get a chance at a solo for his senior year, he couldn't help but worry about Blaine. He had gotten a text from him on Saturday night that he would be going back to Dalton and it worried him to not be there for him yet again. Charade or no, Blaine was still damaged and he worried what impact Blaine's façade would take on him when all was said and done.

He was worried to death over Blaine's whole "I'm fine, don't worry about me" scheme. He may be able to fool his parents and the Warbler's, but he couldn't fool Kurt. Blaine was trying to put on a brave face and all Kurt wanted to do was believe it, but he simply couldn't; he had made that resolve in the hospital. He would take broken Blaine over a lying Blaine any day of the week. The fact that his boyfriend was trying so hard was what was truly scaring Kurt. All of his energy was focused on how to sound normal and how to act like nothing had happened instead of focusing on the healing process. Blaine was trying to recover much too quickly and Kurt worried that it might cause him more damage from the breakdown that he was inevitably certain to have.

Mr. Schue had signaled that they were dismissed, so Kurt took the opportunity to send a quick text to Blaine before he collected his things:

_Hey honey, I hope classes are going well today. Call me when you get home. I have news! I love you! Xoxo ~Kurt Bornthisway~  
><em>

* * *

><p>Saturday arrived slower than Blaine could have imagined. Although he was thrilled to be back at Dalton and his charade seemed to be working, he couldn't help but feel lost. Despite the first day back, The Warblers were all treating him like normal but he <em>wasn't<em> normal. The Warbler's may not see it and he silently hoped that Kurt was just as fooled as they were but all he wanted was to see Kurt happy again. He felt repulsed by what he had reduced Kurt to; he hadn't been eating or sleeping and stuck by Blaine's bedside as though he had been tethered to it.

Blaine glanced over at the chair near his bed that was currently being occupied by Kurt who was brushing through page after page of sheet music.

"No, that one's subpar…Ugh, that was obviously written by a guy who's overcompensating for something."

Blaine smiled at the mutterings of distaste from his frustrated boyfriend. Seeing Kurt invested in something besides Blaine made him happy beyond words. When Kurt had informed him about getting the solo lead for Regionals, he had screamed into the phone with so much enthusiasm, he sounded like a screaming fan girl. He was growing increasingly frustrated with himself as the days went on; he was just trying to be himself again without making it sound forced. It worked for school, but with Kurt it seemed like he was always over the top.

Blaine stood up from the bed and proceeded to take a seat on the arm of the chair next to Kurt and eyed the piece that currently had Kurt riveted.

_My Immortal – Evanescence_

Blaine raised an eyebrow as he read the title. "Evanescence? For Regionals?"

"It's a pretty song, Blaine."

"It's a _depressing_ song."

Kurt gave it another once over and subsequently tossed the paper to the floor.

"You're right. It might not be the best material for Regionals," Kurt trailed off as he thumbed through a few more pages. Blaine began to notice a trend. Every song Kurt had paused on to look over was extremely depressing. He let it go on past '_Over My Head_," and '_How to Save a Life_' by The Fray, before Kurt had finally landed on _'Fix You_' by Coldplay.

"Kurt, we need to talk," Blaine started as he took the pile of sheet music from Kurt's lap, causing Kurt to glance up at him in confusion. "Every song you're considering is dark, un-Regional like material. Is something wrong?"

"No, why would anything be wrong?" Kurt inquired, reaching to take the sheet music back, which Blaine held out further from his reach.

"Something's bothering you and whatever it is has gotten you down all week. Talk to me."

Kurt took a deep breath and closed his eyes in frustration. "I've just been tired is all. I've had a lot of work to catch up on and now I'm hunting for the perfect solo and it's gotten me a little high strung, I'm sorry."

Blaine shook his head. "No, Kurt, there's something else bothering you, I can tell. You know you can tell me anything."

"Blaine, it's seriously nothing, can we please just drop it?" Kurt snapped sounding a lot harsher than he probably meant to.

Blaine chewed his lip at Kurt's tone. He hadn't meant to make Kurt upset, he just wanted to help him through whatever was bothering him. He noticed that Kurt was staring up at him impatiently gesturing towards the sheet music. Blaine hesitated, but he ultimately stood up from the chair and handed the papers back over.

Once Blaine returned to the bed looking like a puppy that had been kicked, Kurt glanced up over his papers. He sighed and rose from the chair, depositing his pile on the now vacant spot and plopped down next to Blaine.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just a little over my head with things."

"I didn't mean to make you angry," Blaine mumbled in response.

Kurt looked taken aback at the statement. "I'm not angry, just overwhelmed."

Blaine felt his heart race as soon as he realized that he was commanding attention again and quickly put his façade back into place with a dapper smile.

"No worries. We're going to find you a totally awesome song, don't stress."

Kurt frowned in response.

"We will," Blaine insisted, taking Kurt's hand. "I swear everything is going to be fine. We're going to get you an awesome solo and I'll help you practice. You're going to be great, Kurt trust me. You're going to kill this thing, just wait for the judges—"

"You need to stop."

Blaine almost didn't catch it over his insane babbling, but Kurt's voice was firm and powerful enough to command his full attention in an instant.

"Stop? What do you mean-"

"You can't fool me, Blaine. You're lying to me, your parents, The Warblers, _yourself;_ you need to stop it before it kills you."

Blaine blinked back at him in response resembling a deer caught in the headlights. Was Kurt calling him out on his act? He didn't want to make it obvious, so he kept it going.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kurt; can we get back to talking about your solo? That's what's truly important here," Blaine responded attempting to get up to retrieve the forgotten papers, but Kurt's hand on his arm stopped him.

"No, the solo has to wait for now. I've got a couple of weeks to prepare for that; you're my priority right now."

Blaine let out a chuckle, but it sounded off due to his nerves. "I'm fine, Kurt, we need to focus on you and-"

"Stop it, Blaine! Just stop it!" Kurt shouted, causing Blaine to jump in alarm. He barely had time to recover before Kurt resumed his shouting.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh, I don't know about you guys, but I sense trouble in the waters. =( Sorry to end it so abruptly, but it's late…or early…and I'm DEAD tired. I meant to post this yesterday, but things decided to step in the way as they tend to do… I'm not sure exactly how I felt about this chapter personally, so leave me your thoughts so I can get that next chapter to ya!<strong>

**Much love!**

**Casey**


	23. Give Me the Strength to Lie

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Howdy, guys! Sorry again for the delay, but I've been sick, working and caught up in reading like every Klaine fic known to mankind! Seriously…so much Klaine ficccc! There are some crazy amazing stories out there, believe you me. Anyways, how have we all been doing? Hating me for taking so damn long? I don't blame you in the slightest.**

**Fair warning about this chapter, there may be some triggers, so just go in with your minds prepared! Well, obviously your minds are already prepared after reading this crazy story. ;D It's some messed up shit, I know. -.^ But that's just how I roll. =) Anyways, I'm glad to be back again to bring you what I hope is a much desired Chapter 23. As always, I look forward to reading your wonderful feedback!**

**Much love!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 23. "Give Me the Strength to Lie"

"Is that your plan, Blaine? Is it? Pretend that none of it ever happened? How long can you pretend Blaine? Sooner or later, it's going to come back and hit you ten-fold. What then? If you ask me, I think it's the stupidest thing you've ever thought of!"

Kurt had been shouting his voice hoarse for the past five minutes. His lovely counter tenor voice was steadily growing non-existent and cracking at every few syllables. Blaine just sat on his bed allowing the love of his life to chew him out. He deserved it, he knew it and as much as he didn't want to admit it, Kurt was in fact, right. Blaine wouldn't give in so easily, though. He wanted things back to the way they were before. He was meant to be the strong one and he wouldn't give up his façade without a damn good fight. He did wish that Kurt would stop screaming, though. The harshness and volume of his tone was actually scaring him, but he wouldn't show it.

"Kurt, I'm sorry," Blaine offered softly. So softly in fact, it was a miracle that Kurt could even catch it over his insane ranting, but alas, he did. He ceased his shouting and stared at Blaine silently for a moment.

"You're _sorry_? What are you sorry for?"

"Everything. I know that all of this has had to have taken its toll on you and I'm sorry you've had to endure all of it. You've been forced to go through so much that you've deluded yourself into thinking that I'm still weak when it's apparent that I'm better. Even ask my mom, Kurt she'll tell you-"

"Because you've tricked her like you've been tricking everyone else!" Kurt interrupted. "Not me, Blaine. You can't fool me."

"I'm not trying to fool you, Kurt."

Blaine could sense that the calmness of his tone and how he had remained so collected throughout all of this was beginning to frustrate Kurt even further. He watched as Kurt had stopped his pacing and fell into the chair he had been sitting in before, sending all of the sheet music tumbling to the floor. Blaine felt his heart thundering in his chest; he hated lying to Kurt, but it was necessary. He couldn't keep expecting Kurt to pick up his broken pieces; he had done that enough already. Blaine couldn't be weak anymore, he wouldn't allow himself to be.

The boys sat in silence as Kurt fumed, opening his mouth on several times but seemed to think better about his words before promptly pressing his lips together. He didn't want to say anything that he would regret later, so he sat silently trying to piece the right words together. As much as he wanted to continue shouting to try and penetrate the wall that Blaine had built between them, he had to remember that behind that wall Blaine was still that fragile boy that he had been before he had been shot. He decided that the shouting wasn't worth the damage that it could potentially cause.

"Blaine," He began after what seemed like a century. "I admire that you want to make it seem like everything is OK and that you want to be strong, but the way that you're going about it is wrong. You even convinced your mom to cancel your therapy sessions," Kurt caught Blaine's look of shock before he continued.

"Yeah, she told me, Blaine. Last week you charmed her into getting rid of your therapist and I'm beyond disappointed in you for that. You need to talk to someone about this, Blaine. You can't just bury all of this inside and not expect consequences. I love you too much to let you do that to yourself."

Blaine just smirked and shook his head at Kurt. "Kurt, I don't know why you're so bothered by this. I'm flattered that you deem me such a wonderful actor, but really, I'm fine. In what way don't I look OK?" Blaine asked, throwing his arms out for emphasis.

Kurt narrowed his eyes and stared unblinkingly into Blaine's.

"Your eyes."

"What about my eyes?" Blaine inquired calmly.

"I know your eyes Blaine. I can tell when you're lying to me and normally they're so full of life and they sparkle when you smile and when you laugh. Right now, they're hollow. When you smile, the life isn't there. When you laugh or _pretend_ to laugh anyway, they're dead. Your laughter doesn't even sound right. Your smile is dry and lacks true emotion…do you want me to keep going, Blaine?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

Blaine gave off the appearance as if Kurt's words didn't even affect him; when truly they tore him up inside. Kurt knew him better than he knew himself and he was a fool to even think that he could deceive Kurt, but he just couldn't stop.

"Deep down, you know I'm right, Blaine. You aren't yourself, no matter how much you think you are and I know you're still in there. I can see the boy I love in those eyes; he's scared, alone and doesn't want to lie anymore. The boy I love is honest and I know he would admit that he needs help when he truly needs it."

_'No he wouldn't. He'd try to be proud and he'd certainly do a whole better at hiding his weakness from you like he's done in the past. He would never hurt you like this. He'd never have let you feel this way,'_ Blaine thought to himself as Kurt studied him, waiting for his response.

"He would if he _needed_ the help and he doesn't. He's the boy you fell in love with, Kurt, I assure you. Now can we please get off of this topic and get back to getting you a song for Regionals? Please?"

Kurt glared at him for a moment, but soon his scowl relaxed into a frown of defeat.

"This isn't over Blaine Anderson. I don't want to let this go-"

"Of course you don't," Blaine teased, earning another scowl from Kurt.

"I'll let it go _for now _but I'm going to leave it with this: I think you're lying to me because you're too scared and proud to admit that you're not OK, but it looks like I'm just talking to a brick wall right now. Just know that this isn't over," Kurt warned.

Blaine grinned and reached out to take Kurt's hand in his own.

"Thank you, Kurt. Thank you for caring so much and loving me more than I deserve. Now let's find you the perfect song, huh?"

Kurt still remained at odds after that, but he soon relaxed, which in turn helped Blaine relax. He'd just have to step up his game that much more to prove to Kurt that he was as OK as he swore he was. He just needed to be stronger.

After a few hours, Kurt had announced his approval and disapproval for over 100 songs and they still hadn't selected one, but it was steadily growing later and later.

Kurt yawned and glanced over at the clock with his arms raised in a much needed stretch. He felt stiff from all of the time he spent leaning over paper after paper that he had spread all throughout the floor of Blaine's bedroom. His eyes widened as his eyes caught sight of the alarm clock on Blaine's nightstand.

"Damn it! Is it really that late already? I gotta go," Kurt yelped as he began to scramble the sheet music together to throw into his bag.

Blaine took in the time as well. Burt wouldn't be too pleased having Kurt home so late on a school night. Fortunately Kurt had the good news about the solo to tell him, so maybe that would cushion the blow a little bit. Kurt managed to pack up in record time and ran down the stairs with Blaine in tow. It had become practice that they were now to walk each other to their respective cars, that was a promise that Kurt had made Blaine promise in return. Sure, Karofsky and Azimio were in jail, but Kurt wasn't willing to take another chance.

Before Kurt got into his car, he turned and placed a hand on Blaine's shoulder as he leaned in slowly to kiss him softly.

At first Blaine was hesitant as he always was with kisses, but this was Kurt. He knew that this wasn't the same as it had been with Karofsky and the sooner he learned that again, the better. Plus, he wasn't doing his façade any favors by being afraid of kissing his boyfriend. So, with that thought, he returned the kiss with added fervor. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck, pulling him in closer as he threaded on hand through Kurt's hair. It was too much, too fast and Blaine knew that, but he couldn't stop himself from attempting to convince Kurt that he was himself again. The old him did this all the time, but they hadn't shared a kiss like this since he'd been back.

Kurt chuckled as he pulled away from the kiss. "Slow down, tiger. You'll see me in a day or two."

Blaine grinned sheepishly in response and gave Kurt a final gentle peck on his nose just like he used to always do.

Kurt smiled at the familiarity of the gesture.

"I know that we talked about this and while my opinion remains unchanged, I will say this: I missed that," Kurt stated regarding the kisses.

With that said, he was out the door, in his car and driving off to face a most likely very displeased Burt.

After making sure Kurt got to his car safely, Blaine shut the door with a soft click and made his way back upstairs to his room.

After kicking the door shut behind him, he fell back onto his bed to think.

He had had a very close shave with Kurt. Had he really been that weak that Kurt could see right through it? _No, stupid, he loves you. He knows you better than you know yourself and it goes to show that he would see right through this obvious lie of yours, you moron!_ Blaine shut his eyes trying to shut off his inner monologue. It was right, though. Kurt did love him and knew when he was lying. It was going to take ten times the strength to convince Kurt out of everyone that everything was fine.

He sat up from his bed with a sudden revelation. If he was going to try to hide his fear, he needed to learn to control it. No therapist was going to be able to do that for him. He could hardly believe that he hadn't considered this from the very beginning. Deep down, he knew why not: it was stupid, irresponsible, reckless, you name it. Right now it seemed like the best and only option and he was going to take it. Blaine from 4 months ago would never have approved of this, but this Blaine was all for it.

He stood up from the bed and slowly but surely made his way to the door. He pulled it open with a soft creak, hoping that his mom wasn't lurking around waiting for him to emerge. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when the hallway was discovered to be dormant. He quietly made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind him as softly as he could and despite his shaking hands, managed to twist the lock on the door. Now it was time to set off for his desired destination: the medicine cabinet.

* * *

><p>On the drive home, Kurt had plenty of time to think about Blaine. Didn't Blaine realize what he was doing to himself? He cancelled his therapy sessions for God's sake! Did he expect all the problems to just disappear in a cloud of smoke? Blaine was many things: gorgeous, polite, dapper, charming, romantic, and a complete and total goober, but <em>stupid<em> was never one of them and he hoped it wouldn't make its way onto the list.

Kurt had made his decision. The next time he saw Blaine he was going to make him admit that he was lying to everyone and make him talk to him. If he refused therapy, the least he could do was tell Kurt what was bothering him. Blaine needed someone even if he believed that he didn't and _Kurt_ was going to be that someone. He loved him with everything he was and he wasn't going to let him do this alone. He couldn't get mad at him for that could he? Even if he did end up mad, at least he'd be showing an _honest_ emotion. That's all Kurt wanted: Blaine to be honest with himself and those around him.

Before long, Kurt found himself pulling into his driveway and what awaited him was more or less expected. Burt was sitting outside on the lawn swing with his arms crossed looking less than thrilled to see Kurt coming home so late.

Kurt dreaded it, but he knew he had to get out of the car and face the music.

"Hi dad," He greeted shyly.

"Hey kid. Do you have the time? My clock must be busted."

Kurt swallowed and bit his lip. "I'm sure your clock isn't busted, dad. I know I'm home late."

Burt didn't respond, he simply sat staring up at Kurt from the swing awaiting an explanation.

Kurt sighed and dropped his messenger bag onto the ground before joining his dad on the swing.

"I was at Blaine's," He began, licking his lips to add some moisture to them. "We were looking for a song for me to sing for Regionals. I finally got a solo for competition."

Burt's scowl lightened up slightly after hearing that, but waited to Kurt to continue.

"Blaine...he's just not doing so well, dad. I worry about him now more than I have in the past. He's—he's lying to everyone about how he's feeling and…he cancelled his therapy, dad and we got into a fight about how he's been acting. Well, more like I was yelling at him and he was just taking it and-" Kurt was rambling and he couldn't stop.

Burt's arms found their way around his son and Kurt gratefully fell into the comforting embrace. He couldn't seem to get a handle on the emotions he was feeling. One minute he wanted to cry and sob until he physically couldn't anymore and the next he wanted to drive back to Blaine's house just so he could scream at him some more.

"I just don't know what to do right now, dad. Blaine is pretending that everything is normal when it's so abundantly clear that it isn't."

Burt finally spoke up as he rubbed calming circles on Kurt's back.

"Blaine's going through a rough time right now, Kurt. While his decision to cancel his therapy is not admirable, he's trying to cope with what's happened in the only way it sounds like he knows how. The best thing you can do right now is to just be there for him. If it helps, I'll talk to his dad about the cancelled therapy. In the meantime, I want you to make me a promise, kid."

Kurt sat up, wiping away a few tears of frustration off of his face and waited for his father to continue.

"I want you to promise me that if you find yourself staying out late for whatever reason, you pick up the phone and call me. Westerville is a hell of a drive, Kurt and I want to know you're safe. Deal?"

"Deal. Thanks dad," Kurt replied with a smile. Burt always knew what to say to make Kurt not feel like life as he knew it was over. He would talk to Mr. Anderson about the therapy and he just knew that he was going to help Blaine get through this. Everything was going to be all right.

After a long, hot shower and his moisturizing routine, Kurt was finally ready to crawl into bed and finish up the last of his homework. Before anything, he sent Blaine a quick text.

_I'm sorry for losing my cool today, honey. I just worry, you know that. I didn't mean to sound so awful. I love you. ~Kurt BornThisWay~  
><em>

* * *

><p>It was a fascinating sight: the color, the sensation…he felt like he was floating. The guilt, the fear, everything was just melting away.<p>

Blaine watched as the razor made the neatest incisions on his arm as he dragged the sharp instrument across his skin for the third time. He wasn't cutting deep enough to cut a vein; just enough to feel something other than the guilt and fear that had been plaguing his mind day and night. The sensation was simply euphoric. As soon as the razor had slashed across his skin, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. All of the pressure he had been feeling was gone and replaced with the pain in his arm. He could hardly believe the simple transfer as he watched the blood trickle slowly from the incision. On the one hand he could hardly believe that he'd done it, but on the other he was glad that he had.

What had initially helped him prepare to make the first cut was that inane inner monologue:

_This will make everything go away: all of the pain, the guilt, the memories...all of it will be gone. You just need to feel something else. You need to feel and this is the only way you'll be strong enough to hide the truth from everyone; plus, you deserve this pain. You've been lying to Kurt, the most important person in your life; you need to be punished for it. Karofsky's not here to take you over his knee like you really deserve, so this will have to do._

That alone had gotten Blaine through the initial anxiety of what he was about to do. He knew he needed this and he deserved it. That thought alone had relaxed him and gave him the courage to just do it. He ignored everything in his head that had attempted to stop him. All of his preconceived notions about self mutilation went straight out the window as he continuously convinced himself that it was the right decision. At the same time, a tiny voice that sounded coincidentally like Kurt was also screaming at him:

_What the hell do you think you're doing? This isn't going to help! Marring your skin? Losing blood? How is that going to help anything? Stop what you're doing right now! This isn't the way! The old you would never have even considered doing something as crazy as this, Blaine! Stop this right now!_

Blaine's inner monologue had shut that voice up quick enough. The need to do this far outweighed the voice's command over him. Just seeing the red rivulets of blood dripping down his arm was enough for him to know that this was the only way he was going to be all right. It would give him the strength to convince _everyone_ that he was all right. The less pain he felt inside, the better he could focus on the lie. They would all see; he'd show them how much he had healed. Everything was going to be all right.

Just as he was about to go for a 4th cut, his phone vibrated in his pocket, startling him. The razor dropped out of his hand as he picked up the towel he had pulled out of the closet prior to the cutting and wiped away at the blood. Underneath the gruesome sight of the blood, the cuts didn't look _that_ bad. His skin was pink and inflamed around the marks and the cuts were lightly oozing a fresh line of red. He stared in fascination for a moment as he silently convinced himself that three was enough for tonight and there would be plenty of time for more when he needed it.

He placed the towel back on his arm to staunch the light blood flow as he recovered an ace bandage out of the cabinet. He gingerly wrapped it around his arm and fastened it in place. In his Dalton Blazer no one would see the bandage and would be none the wiser. If anyone happened to see it, he could just claim that he walked into a rose bush or something. Countless excuses made their way to his brain before he remembered what stopped him from cutting in the first place; he had a text. He used the towel to wipe up a few drops of blood from the floor and rinsed the razor before replacing it in the cabinet.

Floating in almost a dream-like state, he silently made his way back to his room and collapsed onto his bed to read the text:

_I'm sorry for losing my cool today, honey. I just worry, you know that. I didn't mean to sound so awful. I love you. ~Kurt BornThisWay~_

Blaine bit his lip at the message. He didn't want Kurt to worry anymore, couldn't he see that? He let his fingers type away at a quick reply before rolling over and allowing his head to hit the soft white fabric of the pillows. How could he have not thought of this sooner? He felt better than he had in months, even before all of this nightmare had started. If he'd started self-harm ages ago, who knows how much better he could have accomplished things in the past? Well, it didn't matter now, all he could do was continue to fix things for the future. With a slightly accomplished smile, he fell into a deep and much needed sleep.

_You have no reason to worry, my love. I've got it all taken care of. I'll show you how OK I am. You'll see. I love you so much! ~Blaine_

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><p><strong>Oh, Blaine, what are you doing? I know, I know, I am entirely too mean. Or is that really what you think of little ol' me? ;D Reviews tell me everythiiiiing. So definitely leave me one so that I can know the inner workings of your brains…cuz that's not creepy at all, right? ;P<strong>

**Thanks for reading guys, I look forward to hearing from you as always and hope to see you sooner than later for Chapter 24!**

**-Casey**


	24. Control

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Hey there, guys! Miss meeee? Ok, I won't push my luck, here. ;P As usual, life just loves to come and get all up in my way. =( Lots going on, but I swear it's never my intention to leave you guys hanging for so long! But alas! Summer is almost here! So that leaves plenty of time for writing! This fic should have an ending in sight somewhere, but ultimately, a new project might arise! *Cue celebration!***

**Anyways, you guys remain to be the absolute best readers that any author wishes they could have! I owe you guys everything and a freaking Easter basket. Seriously. Thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. You guys are the best.**

**Anyways, hopefully Chapter 24 is as much as you'd hope it'd be! I hope you love it like I love you guys! Enjoy and send me thoughts in those beautiful reviews as per usual!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 24. "Control"

"That was amazing, Kurt! Regionals here we come!" Mr. Schue praised with his typical run of the mill "Regionals here we come!" fist pump.

Kurt masked his triumphant grin with a grin of modesty and flitted back to his seat in record time. Normally he basked in the applause; hell, all of the Glee Club did. It was like a right of passage in the choir room to soak up applause like they were dying of dehydration in the desert. The opportunity didn't come nearly as often enough and Kurt wasn't typically one to snub the attention.

Today was different. Today, Kurt was waiting anxiously for the end of the school day to arrive. He had been meticulously planning this day for the entire week. He had focused on nothing but his Regionals solo for the past 2 weeks and now this week had a new theme: Blaine. Ever since the night of his and Blaine's fight, he hadn't been paying his boyfriend nearly enough attention. Blaine had assured Kurt over and over that it was OK and he needed to focus on his solo. Kurt had obliged, but he didn't feel right about it all the same.

He had spent the week devising the perfect plan of romance to reignite the spark in their relationship. It was an understatement to say that Blaine's past few months were difficult and Kurt thought it was high time that he and Blaine reclaim the romance that they had had stolen from them. The past couple of months had been made up of much needed comfort and love but now it was time to try to regain familiarity. Kurt hoped Blaine was ready for it, but he would be damned if he didn't at least try. He missed his Blaine and he was ready to try and find him again.

* * *

><p>"Blaine?"<p>

Blaine hastily threw the blood soiled razor into his book bag as soon as the knocking sounded on the heavy wooden door of the 2nd floor Dalton restroom.

Panic stricken, Blaine began to wipe at the droplets of blood that had fallen to the counter top and shakily called out, "I-I'll be right out!"

"Blaine, are you all right? You've been in there for over 45 minutes…Warbler practice started 20 minutes ago and we can't really start without our lead soloist, you know?"

45 minutes? Blaine had only meant to be in here for a few quick cuts just to take the edge off…how the hell had it been 45 minutes?

"Shit, sorry Nick…I-I've just had a headache all day and I had meant to come in here to take some aspirin and collect myself. I didn't realize i-it had been so long. Tell the guys I'll be right down, OK?"

"All right, Blaine, see you in a minute," Nick responded wearily from behind the locked door and as soon as the sound of footsteps diminished; Blaine slid to his knees and took deep erratic breaths. What if Nick suspected something? Admittedly, Blaine hadn't sounded like his usual put together self when he answered. He couldn't slip, not now; he had a good thing going and all he had to do was finish cleaning up, then he'd collect himself, get back out and put on his usual show.

The past few weeks had become routine. After the night of his and Kurt's fight, he hadn't been able to stop the cutting. He had only meant to do it that once, but he discovered that he liked the sense of control that he received whilst doing it. Kurt had been busy working on his solo for Regionals leaving Blaine ample time to think and be left to his own devices. This was the easiest and surest way to get by and Blaine would be damned if he let anything stop him now. He had to perfect for Kurt and this was the only way he knew how.

For several months, he had been in so much pain that was so far from his control and now that he found something that he actually had a say in, he was finding it impossible to let it go. He relished in his ability to control the pain; he got to decide when the pain would start and when it would end. It was evident to Blaine that the world decided that he deserved to be punished, so really he was doing the entire world a favor and carrying out that wish.

He dug into his bag for the bloodied bandage that had become a permanent fixture on his arm these past few weeks and began to wind it around the fresh wounds. His Dalton blazer hid the bandage completely from everyone and no one had suspected a thing; why would they? Blaine had every intention of keeping it that way. The lack of suspicion allowed him to quote on quote "Keep calm and carry on," and that's what he was going to do. He washed away the remaining blood from the sink and gave his reflection a once over in the mirror.

Or at least, he had intended it to be a once over. He caught sight of the gaunt look in his cheek bones, the dark bags that had become a permanent fixture underneath his eyes, and the uncharacteristic paleness of his skin. Had he seriously been walking around looking this terrible? He rubbed at his eyes and took a second look. He wasn't imagining it, he looked like shit. There was nothing he could do about it right now, he had to get down to practice. If the Warblers hadn't said anything about it yet, then they probably hadn't even noticed. With that thought put out of his mind, Blaine finally unlocked the door and made his way down to the Senior Commons.

* * *

><p>Kurt finished the final touches of his plan before he heard the doorbell ring from upstairs: showtime. He made his way back up the steps, his stomach flipping with anticipation. He couldn't wait to spend this much needed time with Blaine; they had so much lost time to make up for. Kurt took a deep breath once he made it to the door. After putting Blaine on the back burner for the past week made him realize how much he needed to see him. With no more time to lose, he opened the door to reveal the love of his life…only he didn't look like himself at all.<p>

Blaine looked like he'd lost at least ten pounds since he had last seen him; his gaunt appearance said that much. His eyes looked vacant and lacked their usual sparkle and the expression of confidence he had been trying to flaunt had completely diminished. Kurt was certain that the way Blaine looked now was a precise reflection of how he felt inside and he looked terrible.

"Oh honey," Kurt spoke softly, pulling Blaine into the house and straight into his arms.

"I've missed you," Blaine responded, burying his face right into the crook of Kurt's neck.

"I've missed you too, sweetheart. A week is really too long," Kurt declared, pulling Blaine's face back up to meet his. He placed both hands on the side of Blaine's face and caressed his lips gently with his own. The kiss started off light but steadily became hungrier and exceedingly more passionate. Kurt had missed this, the feeling of Blaine's lips on his and the love that they shared despite all of the horror they had to face. The pair kept kissing until finally Kurt pulled away so that he could take a much needed breath. "All right, let's go downstairs before I ravage you right in the doorway."

Blaine smirked at Kurt's remark, nodded his ascent and took Kurt's hand in his own. Kurt bit back a gasp of shock as soon as the contact was initiated. Blaine's skin usually felt warm against his, but not this time. His hand was as cold as ice.

"Are you cold, honey?" Kurt asked leading the way downstairs and despite the shock, still kept his hand firmly enclosed in Blaine's, desperate to give it some warmth.

"No, I'm fine," Blaine replied with a dapper smile.

Blaine was trying to put those walls up again, Kurt could tell. He wasn't going to try and dwell on it too much. He was hoping that his plan would give Blaine enough genuine happiness that would ultimately overpower the facade of contentment that he was attempting to emulate.

"Kurt!" Blaine breathed as he took in the sight of Kurt's room.

Kurt had dozens of candles placed throughout the room, the glow from the wicks being the main source of light. In the background, Kurt's I Pod was softly playing the 'Chopin's Greatest Works Collection', the sounds of the piano enhancing the romantic atmosphere of the room. On the floor, a blanket was laid out with a picnic basket placed atop of it.

"I thought we needed a little romance back in this relationship," Kurt whispered, kissing the spot underneath Blaine's earlobe. He could hear a soft intake of breath from Blaine indicating that he still enjoyed being kissed in that spot. Kurt grinned to himself, no one knew his Blaine better than he did.

"It—It's wonderful, Kurt…thank you," Blaine whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.

Kurt pulled away and assessed Blaine. He did in fact have unshed tears glistening in his eyes as he took in the aura of the room.

"I've missed—Well, I've missed us."

"I've missed us too Kurt, so much," Blaine admitted as he gently pulled Kurt back into an appreciative kiss.

Kurt felt himself fall into Blaine's embrace. Despite everything, being held by Blaine made it seem as if there were no problems in the world and everything was as it was. Kurt knew that wasn't true in the back of his mind, but for right now, he was going to lie to himself and enjoy this feeling. After a few additional kisses, Blaine kissed Kurt on his forehead, which was the way Blaine always liked to end a makeout session. Kurt felt butterflies in his stomach just at the simple fact that it was something Blaine would _normally _do. Once they let go of one another, Kurt dropped down to the blanket, pulling Blaine down with him.

"Hungry? I have sandwiches, veggies, fruit…whipped cream," Kurt felt his cheeks grow warm as he muttered the last item. He dared to sneak a glance at Blaine who had raised an eyebrow suggestively in response.

"I-it wasn't meant to be like that…I just like whipped cream with my strawberries."

"Well," Blaine began scooting towards Kurt. "If I recall, that's not the only thing you like to put whipped cream on."

Kurt felt his stomach twist as the heat began to move south. When he and Blaine had been intimate before he had been kidnapped, Kurt enjoyed spraying Blaine down with whipped cream and proceeding to lick it off…agonizingly slow.

"Blaine," Kurt breathed, attempting to put the dirty thoughts as far back in his mind as he could, "Tonight wasn't about _that_…the whipped cream was innocent, I swear. I-It wasn't my attention to put any pressure on you or any-"

Kurt was cut off when one of Blaine's fingers was placed against his lips.

"I understand, Kurt. I just enjoy making you blush."

Kurt scoffed playfully. "Blaine Anderson, you'll be the death of me, I swear…"

Blaine shrugged in response and began to search through the picnic basket and once he had set his eyes on his desired item, he looked up with playful look in his eyes.

"Strawberry?" He asked, innocently holding up the fruit in question.

"I am so in love with you," Kurt laughed in response.

And I you, sweetheart," Blaine grinned, feeding the strawberry to Kurt lovingly.

After they had eaten, they had moved onto Kurt's bed, just to cuddle. Kurt clung to Blaine as if he was the floating door in the ocean in Titanic. He didn't want this feeling to end. He knew it was selfish, but was it really? Blaine longed to feel normal, didn't he? Wasn't Kurt treating him normally? He really didn't know for sure, but right now, he just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being held by Blaine. Blaine was currently lying on his back and Kurt was on his side with his head resting on Blaine's chest.

"So, what's new in Warbler land?" Kurt asked, sliding his fingers gently through Blaine's curls that he had thankfully left un-gelled.

"Same old," Blaine replied, closing his eyes at Kurt's touch. "Just getting ready to annihilate The New Directions at Regionals,"

Kurt whimpered and jutted out his lip in a pout.

Blaine cracked his eyes open slightly and chuckled at Kurt's expression.

"Ohhh, I forgot they got a new soloist, didn't they? We're in for a world of hurt, I'm sure," He corrected himself playfully.

"That's more like it," Kurt affirmed, continuing to play with Blaine's hair.

Blaine sighed, "I've missed this."

"Me too, just let me know if I'm pushing too much on you, OK? I'm not meaning to move too fast, I just miss you."

Blaine sat up at that comment and fixed his gaze on Kurt.

"Honey, you're not pushing me to do anything; trust me, I'm fine. I'm sorry for everything, but I think things are getting better, really. You have nothing to worry about."

"Don't I?"

Blaine's eyebrows furrowed at that. "What do you mean?"

"Blaine, you went through some really emotionally scarring experiences…one's that couldn't have left you unaffected…um, intimately."

Blaine nodded in understanding and took both of Kurt's hands in his own. "Kurt, I know that you aren't him. I'll admit that I'm well, I'm ashamed that you weren't the first to...but it's in the past now. All we can do is look ahead, right? I know you'd never hurt me and we have a life full of firsts to have together, right?"

Kurt smiled and nodded in response. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Blaine's. "It's nice to hear you say that Blaine, but I just know there's something else wrong here. On one hand you seem normal, but there's something you're not telling me."

Blaine pulled away and shook his head. "I honestly don't know what makes you think that, Kurt."

"I don't want to scare you, honey, but you've lost weight since I've seen you, you look completely run down. I've never seen you look this-gaunt."

Blaine didn't respond. He looked at a loss for words.

"Don't take it as a negative, baby, I'm just worried for you is all."

"You don't have to worry anymore, Kurt. It's all under control."

* * *

><p>Blaine had finally managed to get away from Kurt for a few minutes with the excuse that he had to use the restroom.<p>

Kurt suspected…no screw that, Kurt _knew_. Well, he didn't exactly know but he was on to something and it was way too close for comfort. He felt completely nauseated by the lack of control he had with Kurt. He could convince all the Warblers that everything was normal, hell, he could even convince his own parents that he was fine, but Kurt? It scared him beyond belief; the lack of control he had when Kurt was around was enough to send him running to the bathroom to regain his control. He dug into his bag and retrieved the razor: his lifeline.

Blaine hadn't been lying when he said things were getting better. The thought of being with Kurt intimately didn't scare him like it had initially. He had made the distinction in his mind that Kurt _wasn't_ Karofsky. Kurt wouldn't hurt him; Kurt was perfect. That was already a sign that things were beginning to fall back into place but the thought that was truly terrifying Blaine was giving up the control. No matter how much he loved Kurt, this was a part of himself that he couldn't give up. The control was everything; the minute he lost it, he lost himself.

He pushed up the sleeve of his jacket on his left arm and steadily unwrapped the bandage around it. Dozens of cuts decorated his arm in a twisted form of art. Blaine held the razor tightly in his clammy grip and strategically placed it against one of the healing cuts. He slowly dragged the razor downward, reopening the wound and watched as a fresh line of blood seeped out. He let out a shaky breath as a wave of calm swept over him. There it was: the control. He pressed a little harder to feel the pain increase in intensity. He felt elated at the pain he was inflicting and made the decision to take it to the ultimate limit, cutting deeper than he ever had before. The blood was steadily beginning to drip to the floor as Blaine focused on his breathing. The cutting had never felt better than this, the control had shifted so far away from him whilst being in Kurt's presence, that it felt as if he was in the middle of a game of Tug-of-War.

A gently knock and a light squeak of the door was all it took to have the feeling of elation ripped away and made his blood ultimately run cold.

"Blaine honey, are you-"

Blaine spun around in a panic and found Kurt looking paler than ever with his hand holding the handle of the door in a death grip. He looked as if he was about to pass out in shock and the only thing keeping him standing was the support of the door. Of all the times Blaine could have forgotten…it had to be tonight that he forgot to lock the door. He placed a hand against the fresh wound in a fruitless attempt to hide the gruesome scene that Kurt had walked in on. It was too late, there was too much blood and Kurt had seen it.

"Blaine, sweetheart, what have you done?"

_Blaine…you ruin everything.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Ohhhhh shit. Kurt finally caught Blaine. About time, too. I didn't want Blaine to go through this cutting thing for too long. He needs help, I tell you! It was so nice to write some fluff for a change, but come on, Casey's writing this story! Of course it must end in ANGST! Lol.<strong>

**It had to, I'm afraid. Blaine needs Kurt's help one more time. He's recovering in some areas, but he needs more! Anyways, drop me a review guys and leave me your thoughts! You know how I love them! ^.^**

**Hope you guys liked it! *Crosses fingers* Let's make chapter 25 get here sooner, eh? I've got time this week for another update if the reviews are awesome, which I'm sure they will be! They always are! =D**

**-Casey**


	25. What's Best For You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Ok, those reviews…I have no words, guys. I couldn't leave you for too long after reviews like those! I would be soulless if I did! Lol. Seriously, I remain touched by the kind words that you guys have been leaving. I'm seriously glad that we're 25 chapters in and I still have all of you guys here. It feels wonderful! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Words cannot describe how amazing you guys are. Much love to all of you! Abduction wouldn't be anything without you!**

**Without further adieu and 500 years of a love declaration, here's our much anticipated chapter 25! Hope you guys all enjoy and proceed to leave me your kind and beautiful words! =D**

**-Casey**

Chapter 25. "What's Best For You"

I knew this would happen. I just knew it. If anyone found out they'd send me away. Well what did you expect? You mess everything up; you're damaged and you're figuring out that people don't want you NOW? Where the fuck have you been? It was all a matter of time before they wised up to your pathetic charade and caught you.

Blaine was lying on his bed staring at the white walls, the white ceiling…the white everything. Everything down to the scratchy, uncomfortable bedspread was white. Funny, for a mental health clinic you'd have thought that they would want to _prevent_ people from losing their sanity. All of this white seemed like they were encouraging you to go mad and prove everyone right.

It had only been three days; three long, tedious days since he'd been sent away to live in this prison. OK, that might sound a little heavy for what it actually was, but Blaine was feeling particularly cynical about the whole situation and his mind, it was virtually the same thing. Columbus Behavioral Health Institute may as well have been his own personal prison.

He flipped over onto his side, hugging the pillow close to his chest pretending that it was Kurt that he was holding. Kurt…he couldn't believe how much he had hurt him. The look in Kurt's eyes before he was sent away; if hearts could literally shatter into a million tiny fragments, his did that day. But nothing could remotely compare to when Kurt had discovered him in the bathroom just one week ago. It was terrifying to think that it had only been a week ago that this had all been a secret; no one had known and everything was all right. Now everything was ruined, absolutely everything.

_"Blaine sweetheart…what have you done?"_

_Oh God…he didn't lock the door; Kurt had found him. It felt as if a boulder had been slammed into his stomach, his legs felt like they couldn't hold his weight and all he could comprehend was the shame of what he was doing. How was he going to try to explain this? It was easy to lie to everyone else, but one look into Kurt's eyes and he wouldn't be able to get a single word out. It was a miracle that he could pretend to be OK around Kurt for so long but that was pretend, it hadn't been a complete outright lie, or was it?  
><em>

_"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine whispered before relinquishing control of his limbs and falling to the floor. The only thing he could manage to do right then was crawl over to the toilet and vomit up all of the contents of his stomach. After the five minutes of dry heaving into the bowl did he finally have an ounce of courage to shamefully look into his boyfriend's eyes. Kurt had been kneeling beside him throughout the entire ordeal, rubbing his back as he vomited and whispering soothing words. How could Blaine possibly look him in the eyes now? What right did he have to do so? Why wouldn't Kurt just smack him and tell him what an awful and selfish person he was by committing the act that he'd been performing over the past few weeks?_

_Moments of silence passed between the couple. Kurt blinking back unshed tears whilst Blaine continued to kneel, gripping the sides of the toilet hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. He finally let go when he realized he was beginning to lose circulation and slumped to the floor. There was still blood dripping steadily from his arm where he had been slicing it open only moments before. It had steadily become a puddle before Kurt noticed the red staining the floor and immediately opened the cabinet for his first aid kit. Without saying a word, he began to tend to the freshly made cuts on Blaine's arm. He cleaned the blood away from the wounds, applied Neosporin once the bleeding had ceased and wrapped a fresh bandage around his arm. Once he had finished his task, he continued to hold Blaine's arm in his hands and only after a few more seconds of silence did he finally let out a heart wrenching sob._

_'No, No, Kurt please don't cry. Don't cry, sweetheart.' Blaine pleaded with all of his might only coming to realize that he hadn't said any of it out loud. He just sat there still as a statue whilst Kurt cradled Blaine's arm in his chest and cried. Blaine couldn't say a word; he didn't deserve to. He had always promised to never hurt him and now he had. Kurt began to cough and his sobs were becoming quieter yet Blaine still didn't say a word. He did however reach out timidly with his other hand and stroked his fingers gently through Kurt's silky coifed hair; that initiated an immediate response. Kurt pulled Blaine into his arms and practically pulled him onto his lap. Still without any words said, Kurt just held Blaine's head to his chest and attempted to calm down._

_Kurt's breathing became less erratic and slowed into normal even breaths. When Blaine noticed the change, he slowly climbed out of Kurt's lap and back to his spot in the middle of the floor._

_"Why?"_

_Blaine hadn't expected Kurt to break the silence with a question, much less one as simple yet complicated as 'why'._

_Blaine opened his mouth to stutter out an answer, but he didn't get that far. Kurt wasn't finished._

_"You—you said you were getting better. I didn't believe you, I wanted to with all my heart, but I couldn't. It would have had to be a miracle that you could come back from all that you'd been through and just be you again. It was just too good…too good to be true."_

_Kurt shifted slightly so that he was looking at Blaine directly, forcing Blaine to stare into those eyes. Those beautiful eyes held the power to calm him, yet completely destroy him at the same time._

_"In the back of mind I knew that I didn't believe you, but I was selfish, Blaine…selfish. I wanted my boyfriend back and when I saw that he supposedly was, I really tried not to question it. I just took this façade of yours and clung to it like reality was presenting me with a beautiful miracle. I chose to ignore it and keep telling myself that time was going to fix you, but I should have been able to have seen this. I don't know how I missed it-" Kurt finally trailed off with more tears sliding down his pale cheeks. It was surprising that after all he had cried in the past few months, his tear ducts still managed to produce more._

_Blaine felt as though he had swallowed an entire bag of cotton, his throat was dry like he had been stuck in a desert without water for days. How on earth was he supposed to respond to this? He knew he had to, though. He had hurt Kurt enough. Not talking to him now would just be another thing to add onto his list of shame._

_Blaine licked his lips softly, blinked at Kurt through his long eyelashes and took a deep breath._

_"Kurt I—" Wonderful start, Blaine… "I-I'm not OK."_

_OK, that was hardly any better. How obvious was the statement 'I'm not OK?' According to Kurt, it had been pretty damn obvious; he just hadn't wanted to believe otherwise and truth be told, Blaine hadn't either. They both wanted to live the lie. By Kurt's silence, he assumed that he should say more._

_"I wanted to be, I really did. I wanted so much to believe that everything could be fine. T-that I could just skip any kind of recovery and just deal with it. I believed that I was strong enough to be who I used to be, but I guess as we both can see, I'm not. I mean, I could see that in some aspects I was getting better. It's only—"_

_"Only?"_

_"I needed the control and I-I—" Blaine could feel the tears escaping his own eyes now. He felt nauseous again, but he knew if he tried to throw up again, nothing would come out. How does one throw up guilt anyway? "After all of this, I felt damaged. I could barely believe that you still wanted me after all of this and I just-I deserved it."_

_Kurt's face if it were even physically possible paled even more at Blaine's words. He stared at Blaine wide eyed, his lips pressed together in a thin line of disbelief. He shook his head slightly and let out a shaky breath._

_"Blaine, after all you've been through, you truly believed that the one thing that you deserved was _more_ pain?"_

_Blaine let his head fall as the tears continued to slide down his cheeks and drip into the puddle of blood that remained on the floor. Ashamed and broken, that's all he was now._

_"I also needed the control," Blaine added with a sniff. "After all of the pain that I had already had, I had control over this. It—it felt good to have a say in how much it hurt…when it would stop. It was my decision, mine. No one had a say in how deep or how much blood, it was all in my control…I needed it and I deserved it."_

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut at the memory. He'd never forget how destroyed Kurt looked when Blaine had told him why he had begun self harming. The disbelief and grief in his eyes would stay with him forever. After that, Kurt had immediately brought Blaine downstairs and called Burt despite Blaine pleading with him not to.

_"Please don't, Kurt. I don't want this to get blown out of proportion."_

_Kurt looked back at Blaine as if he had been smacked in the face._

_"Blown out of proportion? You're hurting yourself Blaine! Seeking my father's help is hardly blowing this out of proportion. I just don't know what else to do, sweetheart! I can't keep pretending you're all right when you're not. Honey, why can't you see that you need help?"_

_Burt had been out of town with Carole, hence why Blaine had been over in the first place. When he had received the phone call from Kurt, he had immediately placed one to Blaine's mother. That's when things had become even worse than they had been before. His mother instructed Kurt to keep Blaine there and not to allow him to leave by any means. Kurt had obliged with her request as she was on her way to get him. She didn't want him driving on his own after receiving the news that he had been self harming._

_After a cup of tea and a lot of silence between the two boys, Mrs. Anderson arrived to retrieve her son. Blaine had left Kurt's house feeling empty. Everything was gone. The only feeling that he could fathom was dread. Having to go through all of this with Kurt was one thing, but having to go through it again with his parents was another. He didn't know how he was going to survive having to say everything again, he thought of his mother as he looked at her from the passenger seat of the car. She looked completely distraught and hadn't spoken a word to him; all he could see were the tears._

_As one would imagine, his parents hadn't taken it well. His mom cried, his father tried to keep a poker face, but ultimately succumbed to what his mother had done nearly immediately. That really had Blaine on edge, his father never cried. He'd seen his father cry twice: once at his grandfather's funeral and once in the hospital after Sadie Hawkins. Mr. Anderson had been so afraid that he was going to lose his son after that first time, now here he was faced with it again._

_"Blaine…we knew you were going through things, son but we never thought that you'd try to take your own life," Mr. Anderson stated trying to keep his tears in check but failing._

_"I—I wasn't trying to take my own life!" Blaine tried to defend himself._

_"Then why, baby? Why would you do this?" Mrs. Anderson stuttered through thick tears and gestured at Blaine's bandaged arm._

_"I just needed-I liked the feeling of control. It was all in my hands and it was something-it was the only thing I had a say in, mom!" Blaine screamed._

It was easy to say that things just continued on a steep downward spiral from there. It had hardly been a day before Blaine's mom had come into his room when he had been working on his homework and announced that they'd be sending him to this clinic. Of course, Blaine had protested, but his parent's minds were made up. He was going to the clinic regardless of what he said. They insisted that he needed help and this was the best place to receive it.

Three days ago: the day that he was admitted into the facility. It seemed like an eternity ago; the days spent confined within these walls never seemed liked they passed at all. One hour felt like one day and one day felt like 4. The hours ticked away as if this was that form of hell when you were stuck waiting in an eternally long line and when you finally get to the front, you're stuck right at the end again. On that day, he hadn't been remotely prepared to be sent to the facility, how could one ever be prepared for that?

_"Please, mom! Dad! Please! Don't make me go!" Blaine cried, clinging onto his comforter for dear life._

_His parents were attempting to get him to get up and get into the shuttle the clinic had sent on his own, but he wouldn't budge from his bed. Whenever his mother attempted to pull his hand away from the comfort of the blankets, he would cling that much harder. Neither one of them wanted to be forceful with Blaine. He had already been through enough, they didn't want to make anything worse, plus they couldn't find it in their hearts to grab their son and drag him down to the awaiting vehicle._

_"If you think I've truly been through enough, why are you doing this to me?" Blaine cried at his parents accusingly._

_"Honey, we're not trying to hurt you, we're trying to help you!" Mrs. Anderson cried back in desperation.  
><em>

_"You can help me by not sending me away!"_

_"Blaine, we're not sending you away. We're getting you the help you need, son. This clinic is the best in the state and they can provide you with the care that you need. Don't you see we're just trying to do the best for you?" Mr. Anderson inquired equally as desperate.  
><em>

_"I don't need a clinic! I need just about everything but that!"_

_Mr. and Mrs. Anderson each shared a look and before they could say another word, the doorbell rang, which Mr. Anderson went off to attend to._

_"You're going to send the clinic people up here, aren't you? You're going to let them drag me into their car instead of you, aren't you?" Blaine asked in a whisper sounding truly defeated._

_"No, honey. We're hoping that we can convince you to get up and go on your own. Your father and I are really trying to do what's best for you."_

_"What's best for me is staying here with people I know."_

_Mrs. Anderson shook her head at her son sadly. "You say that, Blaine, but you lied to me, to everyone. You charmed your way into having me take you out of therapy and you insisted that things were getting better. I know my Blaine; I thought I could always trust him. I hadn't even considered that you might be putting on an act as a means of coping. You've always been a talented actor, sweetheart. I just know that if we let you stay home things will gradually get worse and you need help now, not later. In fact, this is probably what we should have done at the very beginning. We've put it off for far too long."_

_Blaine opened his mouth to argue, but his breath caught in his throat when he saw that his father had returned with someone: Kurt._

_"Kurt!" Blaine cried out desperately. "Please, tell them that I don't need to go, please."_

_Kurt looked broken up. It had been evident that he had cried on the drive over. His eyes were red and puffy and his skin was tinted a faint pink. He took a few cautious steps into the room and knelt by Blaine's bedside. He reached out and managed to pry one of Blaine's hands from the bedspread and held it in his own._

_"You're here to save me, right? You won't let them send me away will you? You want me, right Kurt? You still want me…don't you?"_

_Kurt closed his eyes as tears began to fall._

_"Please Kurt…you-you won't let them-"_

_"You have to go, Blaine."_

_Blaine felt his heart fall. Kurt wanted him gone, too; everyone did. He had no one left that wanted him anymore and he should have been prepared for this. He had believed that no one wanted him in the first place so why was it coming off as a surprise now? Still, Blaine couldn't stop his own tears from falling when Kurt admitted it. He felt so unwanted and his heart couldn't handle it._

_"I-I should have expected this. I understand why no one wants me anymore, I do. I guess the clinic is the only place for me now-" Blaine responded, slowly attempting to get up as he resigned himself to his fate, but Kurt's grip on his hand grew tighter, causing Blaine to look up at Kurt who looked back at him with shock._

_"You think that your parents are sending you to a clinic because they don't want you?"_

_Blaine just nodded._

_"Sweetheart, that's ridiculous! They're trying to get you some help. You _need_ help, Blaine. The fact that you can't see it makes it even more evident. I'm not stopping them because I know that it's what you need and because I love you. We all do and we don't want to see you hurt anymore. Please honey, understand that we all just want what's best for you."_

_"What's best for me is you. Don't let them take me away from you, Kurt." Blaine sobbed as his eyes began to fill with tears of fright. He couldn't go away; he couldn't let a bunch of strangers take him to god knows where and be surrounded by god knows who.  
><em>

_"No one's taking you away from me, Blaine," Kurt assured, rubbing his thumb over Blaine's hand softly. "You're going somewhere where people-professionals can help you get better. We can't—_I_ can't do that for you no matter how much I wish I could, sweetie."_

_"I just need you," Blaine insisted._

_"I need you too, honey. Most importantly, I need you to be better. I know that you can recover from all of this, but only if you let everyone help you. If you won't go for yourself, please go for me."_

_Blaine stared at Kurt, eyes still filled to the brim with tears.  
><em>

_"I'm scared. I don't want to go, Kurt."_

_"It's OK to be scared and I know you don't want to, but you have to, Blaine. If it helps, I'll be waiting for you when you come home."_

_"When will I get to come home?"_

_"It all depends on you, sweetheart. It's not something that has a time limit. I don't want you to focus on that; focus on getting better."_

_A gentle knock sounded on the door making everyone turn their attention to the cause of the disturbance. A man in a dark colored suit with a logo in the top left hand corner of his shirt that read CBHI stood at the doorway awkwardly._

_"Sorry, we're just on a bit of a time crunch and need to pick up another patient before we get to Columbus. Do you need um-_assistance?_"_

_Mrs. Anderson shook her head at the question that Blaine had no trouble catching on to. The man was asking if they needed to come up here and take him by force. He clung to the comforter even harder with the hand that wasn't being held in Kurt's._

_"That won't be necessary," Mrs. Anderson insisted a little sharply at the thought of the men coming up here and dragging her baby against his will down to the shuttle like some kind of criminal. "Just give us a few more minutes."_

_The man nodded his affirmation and headed back downstairs to the awaiting vehicle.  
><em>

_Blaine's breathing picked up in speed at the realization that he had only a few minutes left and without warning, he gave up clinging to the blanket and clung fully to Kurt instead._

_"I can't! I can't go, Kurt! I won't! Please, please, please!" Blaine began to cry into Kurt's shirt._

_"Shhh, baby, please, you have to go. If it makes it easier, I'll go now and you—"_

_"No! Don't leave!"_

_"OK, I won't leave…but only if you get into the shuttle, Blaine."_

_Blaine looked up from Kurt's shirt with eyes that could only be described as one of a kicked puppy. He sat upright on the bed and rubbed the tears away from his eyes with the back of his hand. To Kurt it was extremely odd at seeing Blaine this way. His boyfriend who once held himself proudly and confidently now resembled that of a small child; it shook Kurt in a horrible way. Despite that, Kurt smiled in reassurance and grabbed for Blaine's hand again._

_"Remember, we aren't making you go because we don't want you. We're getting you help because we love you. Can we get you ready to go now?"_

_Blaine closed his eyes as more tears spilled gently from them as he nodded slowly. He was so scared, but there was no way out of this for him. He had to go whether he wanted to or not. It's what his parents wanted...it's what Kurt wanted. He had to obey that command even if it killed him. They finally managed to collect a few last minute belongings before the family headed downstairs. Mr. Anderson carried the suitcase down with Mrs. Anderson right behind him. Behind them, Kurt guided Blaine down the stairs with his hand clasped firmly clasped in his._

_Once they arrived outside, Blaine finally caught sight of the shuttle and tensed up immediately. Kurt sensed the shift and brought Blaine's hand up to his lips and kissed it gently._

_"I don't want to go," Blaine whispered under his breath a multitude of times as they began to load his suitcase into the shuttle._

_"I'll be waiting for you, sweetheart," Kurt whispered in his ear as he placed a soft kiss on his lips and wiped a descending tear from his cheek._

_Kurt let Blaine go so that his father could give him a hug as they said their goodbyes._

_"I love you son, so very much. I promise that we're doing this only because we love you. They'll help you, Blaine, I promise. We'll see you soon, OK?"_

_Blaine nodded slightly with a sniff as he turned around to say goodbye to his mother. This was when Blaine's silent tears became full on hysteria as he ran into his mother's arms. It was going to take a lot of effort to get him to let go._

_"You'll be OK, sweetie," She reassured as she held her son tightly. "I promise. I'm going to miss you so much, but we'll see each other again very soon. I love you so much, baby."_

_Kurt assisted in prying Blaine away from his mother and finally get Blaine into the vehicle and buckled in. The fearful look in his eyes was enough to break everyone's hearts. The man who appeared to be the driver came around and spoke with Mr. Anderson. It appeared that no personal items were permitted at the institute and that all of Blaine's personal needs would be provided for. Mr. Anderson looked a bit uncomfortable with the information, but he seemed to understand as he shot an apologetic look at Blaine. There was nothing too special in the suitcase, but Blaine would have liked to have at least had the picture of himself and Kurt from prom but, no such luck.  
><em>

_"We'll see you soon, sweetie. I love you," Mrs. Anderson called out, blowing Blaine a kiss as they shut the door of the shuttle. There were a couple of other teenagers in the vehicle, on was a girl looking just as fearful as he did and the other looked as if he was far off in his own world. This was going to be a really long drive.  
><em>

_The engine of the shuttle roared and Blaine glanced out the window one last time before the car began to move. Kurt was looking on as Blaine steadily disappeared from sight. Right before they turned the corner, he saw Kurt fall into his mother's awaiting arms.  
><em>

_It was truly a miracle that he still had one because for what seemed like the millionth time, his heart was broken._

Blaine felt a tear fall at the memory and clung onto his pillow tighter. He just wanted to go home. He hated it here; he wanted Kurt and he wanted his parents. But most of all, he wanted it all to be over. When would things finally get better? With that thought he let the tears fall freely and cried himself into an uneasy sleep inside the white walls of Columbus Behavioral Health Institute.

* * *

><p><strong>Man oh man! That was a long one! So please don't hate me, guys! It's seriously all in Blaine's best interest! He's finally getting help! I know it was heartbreaking…but…he's getting help, right? *Hopeful look*<strong>

**Anyways, I really, really, really hope you guys liked this chapter. =D I seriously couldn't stop writing it. Next chapter we'll be hearing more about Blaine's arrival at the Institute and maybe some of Kurt's thoughts and such, I know, I can't wait either! ;D**

**Also, as you know, I love you guys dearly and would like to ask you guys if you could do me a favor. One of my best friends, Lainey writes fics on here and she just began this really devastatingly beautiful one called "One Thousand Years of Sunshine," it's about 2 chapters in, and good lord, it's heart wrenching! She is truly an amazing writer and it would mean the sun and the moon for me if you guys could hop on over to her fic and leave her some love (AKA Reviews) and if you guys can do that for me, I will give you something in return.**

**I will personally guarantee that I will write and post another chapter this weekend. Fair trade, wouldn't ya say? ;D**

**Seriously though, you won't regret checking Lainey's story out. You think I write angst? She's like the Emperor of angst! Lainey also reads this story and is on my ass constantly about updates, so we definitely have a lot to thank her for. =) So do that for me guys and in return Chapter 26 will be posted this weekend!**

**8093968/1/One_Thousand_Years_of_Sunshine There's the link to her story and hopefully we'll have chapter 26 up this weekend, eh? ;D**

**Can't wait to hear what you guys think about well…everything! I love you guys!**

**-Casey**


	26. Therapy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**All righty, I'm getting a HELLACIOUSLY late start on it, but here it is. I did promise that if you guys paid Lainey's story a visit, that I would get a chapter written this weekend... Though upon finishing it, it's technically Monday morning. ;D I do have to give a shout out to The Ruler of Nothing Important and bow ties-coffee dates-duets for both of you left wonderful reviews on One Thousand Years of Sunshine. Lainey was thrilled believe me. On Friday she and I were hanging out and she flailed. -.^ So if you haven't, please do hop on over to her story, it's beautiful and will definitely rip your still beating heart from your chest. Go prepared my minions… ;D**

**Anyways, lovely reviews as always guys! Keep them comin'! I love reading your lovely words always! So as promised…Chapter 26! I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors or the like, I'm extremely exhausted. X_X But I wanted to get this chapter up! So, happy reading!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 26. "Therapy"

Blaine didn't know how much more of this facility he could take. Every morning of waking up in this god awful white room was starting to get to him. Yes, he may have been hurting himself before his arrival here, but not once had he actually felt _crazy_. One week in this place and he felt as if he were being driven slowly into insanity. It didn't help that the nurse who acted as the patient's personal alarm clock was nothing short of bright eyed and bushy tailed every morning without fail.

Since the patients all showered or bathed at night, they didn't have to do much other than get dressed before being forced to eat together in the dining hall. Blaine sighed as he saw a clean pair of CBHI patient assigned clothes waiting for him on the chair by the door: a light blue hospital top with the letters CBHI followed by a red cross underneath were stitched on the top left side and a pair of matching pants in the same color to go with it. To Blaine, they looked and felt like glorified hospital pajamas that they were required to wear all day except for sleeping and for that, they even had assigned pajamas. Not only did he have to adhere to a strict hospital rulebook, but he also didn't even have the freedom of dressing in what he liked. Since when did being "mentally ill" cost you even the most basic of freedoms?

As soon as Blaine was dressed in the drearily dull uniform, he followed the routine he had been taught. He knocked on the door signifying that he was ready and waited for the dorm monitor to come and unlock the door. When they were actually allowed to be _in_ their rooms, they were locked in like it was some sort of a mental asylum. Blaine knew it was because they couldn't risk anyone sneaking out even though they had a monitor in the hallway at all hours in case of an emergency. There were many different divisions of the hospital, not just the one Blaine was in. There was everything from the suicide division patients to the criminal division patients who actually suffered from _severe_ mental illnesses. Even though some divisions weren't as high risk as others, they had to treat everyone the same as per hospital policy.

Once he was freed, he was lead with a few others down to the dining hall where he was then forced to eat breakfast with the rest of the patients in complete silence just as he had the few days prior. As per usual, the food was already there waiting for him when he took his assigned seat. He looked down and grimaced at the contents of his bowl: oatmeal for the 2nd time since he'd been here. Blaine actually liked oatmeal, but this muddy substance they were trying to pass off was incredibly bland and tasteless. Honestly, how the hell do you mess up oatmeal?

His assigned dining hall group weren't the talkative type as they sat and picked at the lumpy cement in their own bowls. He was sure that they felt just as out of place as he did. At CBHI they encouraged friendship, but to Blaine, this didn't seem like the best venue to make friends; it's not that he wouldn't allow for it but he certainly wasn't going to try and go through the routine of finding out what he and they had in common. It was clear as day that they had nothing in common; they were probably suicidal and he was nowhere near that. It didn't help that his lunch group were all new inmates just like himself. They had all been in the shuttle together that had brought them here and they were going through the same adjustment period that he was. No one had a good "it gets easier" speech, so the silence was a good alternative.

After breakfast, Blaine was scheduled to be whisked off immediately to his first therapy session with Dr. K. It was safe to say that he was dreading the therapy sessions most of all. Of all the things he had to do here, seeing the doctor was the thing he wanted to do the very least because he knew that trying to convince a medical professional that he wasn't suicidal would be a long shot and most likely impossible. For some reason, maybe because of the simplicity, doctors took self harm and lumped it into the category of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. If they didn't, Blaine was sure that he wouldn't be stuck in this madhouse.

As soon as he forced down the last of the glue, Nurse Leila was at his side to guide him to Dr. K's office. Reluctantly Blaine stood, catching a few sympathetic glances from the lunch group, and followed her out of the dining hall. As they made their way past the front office, Blaine caught sight of the front doors. It would be easy, he _could_ just break away from Nurse Leila and run his way to freedom. Well, he would probably be caught before he made it very far; there had to be actual guards around this place somewhere. It _was_ a rather large institution; they couldn't just leave the front doors unguarded in a place like this.

So they continued on, walking along the very hallway that he had when he first arrived.

_"You must learn to adhere to all the rules during your stay at Columbus Behavioral Health Institute," The nurse prattled on as she led Blaine and three other unfortunate patients down the main hallway of the prison. 'She's probably in charge of leading the inmates to their cells,' Blaine thought to himself bitterly as he followed along._

_"We don't have too many, but since you are patients without severe traumas, you will reside in a less strict unit. This unit is for those who possess suicidal tendencies and desires."_

_Suicidal desires? Blaine thought it would be appropriate to be placed in this unit if he actually possessed a suicidal desire. Where was the unit for "Desires control and feels he deserves just a little bit of pain?"_

_Blaine didn't want to die. If he wanted to, he knew which vein to cut. He purposely steered clear of those veins when he was self harming. He couldn't…he_ wouldn't_ leave Kurt alone like that. If he didn't want to end his life, then why was he even here? Yes, he cut himself, but so does half of the teenage population of America…isn't this a free country? All he wanted was one thing and they took it away from him._

_"…bedtime is at precisely 9 PM every evening."_

_Blaine pretended to be listening politely as they walked along, her voice was as grating and obnoxious as it was irritating. He could see that she held an air of self entitled superiority over them; she practically screamed, 'I don't have to be on suicide watch, so that makes me better than you.'_

_Also, who the hell goes to bed at 9? Old people? He was seventeen, no normal teenager ever went to bed that early-but being in this facility, that made him _not_ a normal teenager, didn't it?_

_"Breakfast is served promptly at 7 AM. Afterward you will be given your morning dose of medication as prescribed from Dr. K; he is the doctor specialized for this particular unit. After breakfast you will have free time in the living room—"_

_"Excuse me, miss?" Asked the girl walking along side Blaine. She was the girl who had been in the shuttle when Blaine was being picked up. The two other boys standing with them had been with them as well.  
><em>

_"Yes, um…Jillian?" The nurse answered, checking her chart for the girl's name._

_"After breakfast are we allowed to just go to our rooms if we want to?" She inquired with her head held toward the ground._

_The nurse didn't look too pleased at the question._

_"No. You will not be allowed in your rooms alone at anytime except for sleeping. Bedrooms are for sleeping, nothing else. You are here to overcome your desire to leave this world. We believe that if you have copious interactions with other patients, you will find the desire to love this world and stay in it. Now shall we go over the rest of the rules?"_

_Jillian nodded her head, which remained bowed towards the white reflective tile._

_Blaine had to admit, for a girl, Jillian was very pretty. Her hair was a dark brown that looked like it had the potential to hold a lot of volume, but instead it hung straight and lifeless down past her shoulder blades. Her skin was a creamy white and her eyes were a deep ocean blue. Blaine's heart panged at how much the girl reminded him of Kurt. A much more lifeless and apparently suicidal Kurt, but still her features resembled Kurt more than Blaine would have wished. He wondered to himself if any of these patients were here wrongly as he was. Were they also sent here because they were mislabeled as suicidal?_

_They had finally reached the living room where another Nurse, Nurse Leila as she had soon introduced herself was waiting for the new arrivals. She was the head nurse who was in charge of their unit and keeping them all in line. The unit that they would be staying in was apparently restricted to ages 13-18. So in their mind, that could present tons of trouble: Teenage hormones mixed with medication and 'brain issues,' yeah, Blaine could see why they might be a little strict in this ward._

_"So, I want us all to feel like a family during your stay at CBHI. I can't make assumptions, but I find often that the individuals placed in our care come from places where feelings of loneliness and lack of companionship were a constant in their lives. I promise that will never be an issue here. You will have many opportunities to interact with the other patients in your ward. My assistant, Nurse Emily," She gestured to the nurse who had brought them here. "Will be available at all times if you need someone to talk to._

_Your doctor, Dr. K is a wonderful man and I'm sure all of you and he will come to be great friends as well during your stay. You will all have therapy sessions with him 3 days a week and when you aren't in therapy, we have had all of your schools kindly forward us your school work so that you don't fall behind in your studies. We have a wonderful tutor that you will meet tomorrow, her name is Ms. Lyons."_

_Blaine's head was swimming at all of this new information. He was expected to abide by all of these strict rules and regulations _and_ had to interact with kids that he barely knew. If his family wanted to torture him, couldn't they have found a more sane way? He remained standing and listening to the nurse ramble on and on about the rules they were to follow. In the meantime, he began to familiarize himself with the living room that he would be forced to spend most of his free time in._

_The room was enormous, that was for sure. There were many circular tables in the large room that appeared to accommodate at least four individuals. In the far right hand corner of the room held a large lush couch in front of a surprisingly expensive flat screen TV. This hospital reminded him of a larger, more affluent version of the one from the movie "Girl Interrupted."_

_He took in the last few remaining rules and felt a headache gradually increasing from all of this information being thrown at him. Let's see: he had to be awake at 6:30 AM, in bed by 9 PM, wasn't allowed in his room unattended, had to take medication prescribed by a doctor, attend therapy, be forced to do work from Dalton without being able to actually attend his beloved school, and if he didn't follow these rules there was practically a binder filled with different kinds of consequences for their actions depending on their type of misbehavior. And were his parents sure this _wasn't_ a prison when they looked into it?_

_He was going to hate this place. There was no possibility of him finding any kind of solace here. He just knew it._

Blaine followed Nurse Leila to the large oak door of Dr. K's office and rapped on it gently.

"You'll love Dr. K, Blaine; he's truly a wonderful man. He has a great insight to people that I've never encountered before with any other doctor. You didn't hear that from me!" She teased, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You may think that I'm just saying this, but I'm being honest, here. You'll come to find that Dr. K is someone who will actually listen rather than pretend to. So have a great session and we'll see you at dinner!" She assured before she rushed off to return to the other patients.

Blaine stood alone waiting for this Doctor of his to open the door and bestow upon him his many words of wisdom like "how much Blaine had to live for" and "suicide was selfish" and so on and so forth. These words would be helpful if he was _actually_ suicidal! This was such an astronomical waste of time and money. The door soon opened to reveal a rather tired looking man clad in a grey suit. So no typical white lab coat then, huh? He had light bags under his eyes probably from lack of sleep and age, but he could also see laugh lines in the corner of the man's eyes which had to mean that he had to have a particular joy of some kind. Dealing with a bunch of suicidal teenagers probably wasn't it. There was something in the Doctor's features that held a sense of familiarity, but Blaine couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

"You must be…" He checked his chart. "Mr. Anderson."

"Blaine," Blaine corrected immediately. 'Mr. Anderson' was his father, not him.

"Well, Blaine, it's nice to meet you, I'm Dr. K, or Paul. Whatever you feel most comfortable with." The man introduced himself, holding out his hand, which Blaine took. Blaine may hate his whole situation, but he still remembered his manners. The man looked at Blaine the same way for a moment, as if he was trying to place him from somewhere.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. K," Blaine answered back and took the seat that Dr. K offered to him in front of the large wooden desk.

"Well Blaine, it's both a joy and a sadness to meet a new face at CBHI," Dr. K stated, taking a seat behind the desk. He flipped through some of the papers from his chart and continued to make small talk.

"Anderson...that name is for some reason ringing a bell. You're not related to the Anderson family here in Columbus by any chance? I know Greg well; hell of a good surgeon."

"No, sir. All my family is back in Westerville."

"Oh, I see," Dr. K said as he appeared to try to put where he thought he knew Blaine aside. "So, a handsome young man such as yourself is probably quite the ladies man back at home, hmm?"

Blaine shifted uncomfortably, he didn't feel like coming out to this man, but he was out and proud, so he muttered, "I have a boyfriend."

"Oh," Dr. K nodded at him, not seeming to astonished. "What's he like, might I ask?"

Blaine was curious as to why Dr. K didn't immediately rush into the topic of his supposed suicidal tendencies, but if he had the opportunity to talk about Kurt, he wouldn't give that up.

"He's the most wonderful human being I've ever met. He's the most selfless, kindhearted and compassionate person I know. Without him, I feel like I'm..incomplete I guess? You know how they say that when you meet someone, they become your other half?"

Dr. K nodded in response.

"Well, that's exactly who Kurt is. He's honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me and I wish I could find more words, but Kurt defies words. All human languages lack the ability to describe him. In all honesty, I just want to do whatever it takes to get out of here and back to him."

Dr. K nodded again, this time with a slight smile. "We'll have to work to get you there, then. It seems you have quite the catch waiting for you back at home."

Blaine simply nodded and became really interested in his hands that were clasped together tightly in his lap.

"So Blaine, I suppose we should get to the real topic here. What exactly brought you to CBHI?"

Oh God here it was. This was the part Blaine had been dreading the most since his arrival here: having to convince this man that he wasn't suicidal and that his being here was a mistake. Before he could come up with a concrete answer, a knock sounded at the door.

"Will you excuse me for a moment, Blaine?" Dr. K asked with an apologetic glance as he went to the door to address the interruption.

It was some nurse from another unit who needed him at the front desk, so he informed Blaine to think on his question and that he would be back in a few minutes. As soon as the door clicked shut, Blaine stood up and began to walk about the room. He was always very fidgety and hyper even at the best of times. and he couldn't sit still for too long, especially when he was nervous.

After pacing the room in a circle a few times, he found himself on the other side of Dr. K's desk and his eye caught the paperwork he had left behind: Blaine's file. He glanced towards the door nervously. If he was caught reading his file, he might already be booking himself an appointment with that binder full of consequences for misbehavior. He was very curious as to what they had to say about his "condition" though. Curiosity eventually won out and whilst Blaine kept an ear out for sounds behind the door, he began to read.

**Columbus Behavioral Health Institute Patient Medical Form**

Name: Blaine Everett Anderson

Age: 17

Hometown: Westerville, Ohio

Education: Dalton Academy

Grade: Senior

Referral to CBHI:

- Therapist

- Court Mandate

- Law Enforcement

**- Parent or Guardian**

- Self Admission

Evaluation: Was discovered self mutilating by a friend in the bathroom of this friend's home. The self mutilation was achieved by applying a razor blade to the innermost part of the arm and making 1 inch to 2 inch incisions. There appear to be scars and scabs from prior dates unknown. The incidents judging from the lacerations could have began as early as 1 month ago.

Treatment: The patient will be institutionalized and held under a 2 month suicide watch at Columbus Behavioral Health Institute. Therapy sessions, daily medication to be prescribed from assigned CBHI Health Professional.

Release Date: No release scheduled.

Assigned Doctor:

That's where everything changed. Blaine felt his stomach drop, the shock made his knees give way and sent him sprawling to the floor. Was it even possible? How could this even be allowed? Did no one do their research here? How could they let this happen? He knew why the man looked familiar now; how he didn't place it in the beginning, he would never know.

The door opened in the middle of Blaine's panic attack to once again reveal the doctor in question. Blaine stared at the doctor in absolute horror as the older man blinked in surprise as he assessed the situation.

"Blaine, are you all right?" He inquired as he approached to tend to his fallen patient.

"No, Dr. _Karofsky_ I'm not all right."

Dr. K, Dr. Karofsky, Dr. Paul Karofsky…Dave's _father_ was his doctor.

"Blaine, son, you have to calm down," Dr. Karofsky attempted to say over Blaine's rather loud hyperventilation.

"NO! I will NOT calm down!" Blaine shouted back.

"Blaine, please. Why are you so upset, can you talk to me, please?"

"It's all his fault!"

Dr. Karofsky gazed at Blaine in honest confusion and knelt down beside him. "Who, Blaine?"

"Dave! It's all his fault! Your _son_ is the reason that I'm stuck in this horrible place!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ohhhhh shit. Who does the paperwork in these places? That's quite the fuck up somewhere, right? Oh, and to answer what I'm sure if the biggest question everyone has, "Why didn't Dr. Karofsky immediately recognize Blaine?" Well, faithful reader, to answer this, they never met. He had never seen a full picture of him and yes, he knew of the name of his son's victim, but let's face it, Paul's a busy man and it's fiction! ;D Plus, we just need more angst and suspense all the time! I do promise though, we are on the road to Blaine's recovery. I did indeed state that there were many directions in which I could take this story and this is where the path led me.<strong>

**Also, yes, I do know in canon that Mr. Karofsky cares a lot for Dave, but if this was a strictly canon story, Dave wouldn't be our villain to begin with. Yes, he cares for his son, but his son is also a fucking psycho in this story and has been in jail for many months.  
><strong>

**Anywho, I wanted a suspenseful twist and there it is! More will be explained next chapter and I think we shall add a bit of Kurt most definitely. This was a quick chapter that I promised and it's definitely Casey's bed time. So anyway, shoot me a review and let me know your innermost thoughts! Reviews will most definitely result in a quicker chapter! *Hint hint* Also, I apologize for any mistakes, but I am severely tired. Love you all!**

**- Casey**


	27. Apologies

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Howdy everyone! Once again, I do apologize profusely for my late, late, late start on an update here, but I definitely was prepping to go on a trip at the time of my last update, then I went on said trip and have now just been working non-stop.**

**The trip in which I speak were the best 2 days of my freaking life. Not only did I go to see Darren Criss's Live Acoustic Performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, but the next day I met Team Starkid (Please tell me that you all know who they are, readers!) and after meeting them, I watched them perform Apocalyptour from the FRONT ROW. No words. I was literally 2 feet from them and Darren...words CANNOT express, my readers...no words.**

**Anyway, with all my flailing aside, I think everyone's just about ready for Chapter 27, wouldn't you say? Man, this story has gone on so much longer than I had initially intended and that is definitely a big thanks to all of you guys. This story would've ended at like chapter 2 if it hadn't have been for you! I am so happy that you guys have taken on this wild roller coaster ride of a story and stuck by it. It means the world, it truly does. Ok, if you guys want me to shut the hell up and get on with chapter 27, please say, "Aye" *Chorus of "ayes" are shouted* Ok, ok, here it is, guys! CHAPTER 27!**

**- Casey**

Chapter 27. "Apologies"

Blaine just kept screaming and shouting. Before any of this had happened, he would have been appalled at his behavior, but due to the circumstances, he felt entirely justified in screaming like a five year old. He didn't listen to any form of sense or reason that was attempting to be forced upon him and why should he have to? After minutes of Dr. K attempting to console him, he realized that his efforts were proving fruitless and was no longer alone now. After seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with calming Blaine on his own, he had retreated to his phone and called up some medics for assistance.

"Blaine, son! We need you to calm down and speak to us. Tell us what's wrong," Dr. K tried to get in through Blaine's screams.

Blaine felt his helplessness and anger boil. He wanted him to tell him what was wrong? If it was an explanation he wanted, Blaine would give him one that he would never forget. It would serve the older man right anyway. How dare he agree to take on Blaine as a patient, just who did he think he was? How on earth did he think he could agree to this arrangement and manage to help Blaine in any way? Or was it some added torture that he and Dave had come up with? Since Dave was no longer free to dish out the torture himself, he'd just have his father do it instead?

"You want me to tell you what's wrong?" Blaine laughed. "You want me to talk to you rationally about what he did to me? You really want me to talk to you about how your son tortured me? About how he kept me a prisoner in your house? You want to hear about how he beat me? Oh, but I'm sure you want to hear about how he would take me over his knee when I wouldn't tell him that I loved him...oh, and of course you'd just love to hear the story of how he r-r-r-rap..."

Blaine couldn't finish the sentence, but he didn't have to. The expression in Dr. K's eyes was enough as realization dawned on him. His eyes swam in a sea of shock before they were overcome with anger.

"No, they wouldn't-how could they have-" He stammered.

Blaine was astonished to see the look of genuine horror in the Doctor's eyes as he made the connection in his head as to who Blaine was. The man looked almost sick with the discovery. Looking at him now, there was no way he could have known this. He felt tears begin to creep down his face as he tried to breathe, but it was growing impossible. How could something like this happen? It had to be some form of sick joke because these things just don't happen. Of all the medical centers he could have been sent to, he was sent here and out of all of the doctors he could have had, it just happened to be Paul Karofsky. He knew the world was a small, but it seriously couldn't be this small. Dr. K really had no prior idea as to who Blaine was before he came into the room and with that being the case, he wasn't alone in this feeling of utter betrayal towards the hospital.

Dr. K held his fingers to the bridge of his nose in an attempt to calm his frustration. How could this mix-up have happened? It quickly dawned on him that his presence in the room wasn't helping as Blaine began to hyperventilate as he took in all these new founded details. The doctor looked towards one of the medics and made a motion that Blaine didn't see and in a matter of seconds, a medic was descending upon him preparing a syringe. His eyes widened with fear as he felt his heart rate quicken even further while he struggled to regulate his breathing.

"No," Blaine whispered, his voice fatigued from the abuse his screaming had caused. "I d-don't need that. I'll calm down, I swear. Just please-"

The medic didn't look convinced as he continued to prepare the syringe. Blaine just kept shaking his head and attempting to crawl away from the offending instrument.

"Please...please...please," He kept repeating as he crawled further and further away.

His breathing was becoming more level, but the fear remained constant. The medic closed the distance between them and knelt down to Blaine's level. He motioned to the second medic to hand him the cotton swab that had been prepared with rubbing alcohol. Despite what fight remained as Blaine struggled to get away, the medic was easily able to grab onto his arm and dab the cotton swab onto it, effectively cleaning the area. He grabbed for the syringe and lined it up with a vein as Blaine tearfully watched, his eyes fixated one the sharp piece of metal. Before the needle managed to pierce the skin, Blaine whimpered and promptly closed his eyes preparing for the sting.

But no sting ever came. He opened his eyes and saw that Dr. K now held the syringe and the medic too was looking up at the doctor in bewilderment.

"Sir?" The medic asked.

"Blaine," Dr. K began uncomfortably as he disassembled the syringe. "Would you be calm enough to talk for a moment? I realize this situation is immensely inappropriate, but if we can talk calmly for just a moment, I promise that we will get all of this sorted out and we will not sedate you."

Blaine took in the offer for a few minutes, not taking his eyes off of the syringe for a moment in case this was a trick to distract him. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath and nodded his consent. He didn't want to talk to Dr. K at all, but honestly, he would take anything over the needle.

"Good," Dr. K breathed, as he handed the syringe back to the medic. "Would you, um-kindly take a seat in the chair for me?"

Blaine remained silent, but obliged. He wished that they would just put that damn syringe away already. He didn't like needles and the thought of being drugged terrified him. Why the hell did he get sent to this awful place? This institution supposed to 'help' him when all it had done was torture him thus far. He was frightened to think of what else they had up their sleeves. Maybe they'd come into his room tomorrow and inform him that Dave Karofsky was his incoming roommate. It wouldn't surprise him in the least; the torture just couldn't stop coming.

As soon as Blaine was seated, he couldn't help but notice the straps on the sides of the chair. He hadn't noticed them before, but now he was on the look out for any and all devices of torture. Dr. K must have noticed as he took his seat behind his desk and assured Blaine, "I won't be binding you to the chair, don't worry. I just want to talk for a moment."

The look on his face looked nearly as uncomfortable as Blaine's. What could be said in a situation like this? How was he expected to seek treatment from the man who had spawned his torturer? Was is even possible?

He gave Blaine a few more minutes to regulate his breathing and calm down to a reasonable state of shock before he spoke again.

"Blaine, I cannot begin to apologize for this mix-up. The situation we currently find ourselves in is never common practice. It was a mess up in paperwork that I assure you will be righted. I think it goes without saying that having me as your health care professional is not a possibility. Due to the mix-up here today, I'm going to suspend our therapy indefinitely until we can come up with another health care professional for your sessions. You have my word that I'm going to make this my top priority and have this situation fixed as quickly as possible."

Blaine just blinked at him. He couldn't find the right words to respond with. This was just so...fucked up. If he were more of a violent person, he would find the asshole who tends to the paperwork and kill him. Not only was this not fair to him to place him in the care of his attacker's father, but it was also massively unfair for the doctor. He must be having a hard time coming to terms with what his son had done and now right in front of him sat his son's victim. He had been made aware of everything Dave had done before he'd been incarcerated and here he was reliving it again along with Blaine.

"All right, well, with that said, I'll start sorting out this mess, I'll just have the medics escort you back to your quarters, I um-I apologize again, Blaine. I hope you can recover from everything that-" Paul trailed off, and didn't say another word before he buried his face in his paperwork.

Blaine was then led from the office and back down the hallway to his room. He hated it here, why couldn't they just let him go home? These people couldn't even file paperwork correctly. What drugs were his parents on when they thought it was a capital idea to send him to this torture chamber? CBHI, a place where you will be treated by the best! You'll be placed into the professional care of your torturer's father and when you freak out, they'll threaten to drug you with needles! Yep, ready to begin the healing process! Who couldn't heal after that? Blaine thought bitterly as they arrived to his doorway. The medics opened the door and were just about to put Blaine inside and lock the door behind him, but Nurse Leila hurried her way up behind them, her heels clacking against the polished tile loudly.

"I'll take it from here, gentlemen," She said sweetly before they managed to close the door. The medics nodded their approval and cleared out to allow the nurse to tend to Blaine. As soon as they were out of sight, she placed her hand gently on Blaine's shoulder and guided him out of the doorway of his room.

"I heard what happened, sweetheart and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Blaine blinked at her wondering why she felt the need to apologize and why she had stopped the medics from locking him up in his room. He was certain that he would never understand how this place worked.

"I think I'm supposed to be in my room, now," Blaine said, quietly gazing at the floor.

"Well, I suppose we _could_ put you there, but you look like you need a bit of cheering up and I think I know what just might do that."

Blaine looked at her skeptically, but curiously. "H-how?"

"Well, it is a little unorthodox seeing as how your time with us has been very short, and the rules clearly state that no outside contact is permitted; however, I'm willing to bend the rules just this once due to the circumstances. How does a phone call to one of your loved ones back at home sound?"

That was by far the best thing Blaine had heard since he'd arrived at CBHI.

* * *

><p>Kurt lay on his bed just staring at the ceiling. It had only been a few days, but he missed Blaine terribly. The fact that he couldn't even talk to Blaine was driving him crazy. The betrayed and terrified look in Blaine's eyes on the day that CBHI came for him just couldn't leave his mind. He hated siding with Blaine's parents on sending him to that clinic. Kurt never wanted that, but who was he to argue? Blaine wasn't getting any better, he was getting worse and Kurt wasn't his parents.<p>

He grabbed a pillow and placed it over his head as he felt his heart break. One thing was for sure, nothing was going to get him out of that bed today, nothing. Any and all motivation "to be" today was whisked away just as quickly as Blaine had been. He only hoped that the clinic was treating Blaine well and knew how to provide him with the right care so that he could begin to heal. He deserved that much at least.

A knock sounded on Kurt's door driving him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not taking any visitors right now, please call again later," Kurt shouted up to the person on the other side of the door.

The door opened regardless of Kurt's statement, clearly annoying Kurt as he sat up fully prepared to start bitching out the person who had ignored his request.

"Sorry to disrespect your wishes, buddy, but you left your phone upstairs and I think you're going to want to take this call," Burt announced, holding the cell phone in question out to his son.

"Who is it? I don't want to talk to anyone, dad," Kurt replied, ignoring the phone offered to him by lying back down and was just beginning to place the pillow back over his face when he heard his father's next statement.

"Even if that someone is Blaine?"

Kurt sat up so fast he was surprised that he didn't have a head rush or whiplash. The smile on his face was that of a child who just had opened up their favorite toy on Christmas. Just hearing Blaine's voice might be enough to get him out of this funk that he was in. Not knowing how Blaine was coping had been killing him, so he took the phone from his father eagerly and held it like it was his lifeline.

"Blaine, honey?"

He was met with silence. Was this some kind of trick? He glanced up at his father in confusion; he wouldn't be that cruel as to say Blaine was on the phone when he wasn't. Kurt was just about to try again before Blaine's voice spoke up quietly. The voice broke Kurt's heart even more than he thought possible. His hope to hear any optimism in Blaine's voice was crushed. He hadn't known what he'd been expecting, but he'd hoped that it would be the opposite of what he heard now. He had heard Blaine sound scared these past few months, but he'd never heard Blaine sound like this.

"Kurt...Kurt, I-I hate it here, Kurt..."

* * *

><p><strong>Aww man, I'm such a jerk to leave you all hanging here, but I'm ridiculously tired and desperately need to get to bed. I didn't want to write a short chapter cuz that's not how I roll, but I also really wanted to get something up for you guys to assure you that I haven't abandoned you. I assure you that I will have a longer and better Chapter 28 posted this week. I have a 3 day weekend coming my way!<strong>

**Anyways, sorry to leave you like right when Kurt and Blaine are being reunited via phone, but that'll give you guys something to look forward to by the next update! Once again, I'm sorry it was kind of dull, but we'll get more stuff moving when I'm a little more awake to write. I seriously hate the fact that it was so short. =( But because of that, we'll definitely have a bigger and better chapter to make up for it this week. Reviews would definitely be appreciated as always. They are what feeds my writing soul. Look forward to hearing from you guys!**

**-Casey**


	28. Progress

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, hello, hello. Sorry that I didn't get an update up last week. Work decided to screw me, as they usually like to do. But here I am, ready to bring you Chapter 28! Can you believe we're almost to 30 chapters? I am amazed by the dedication and kind words of all my readers and I am thankful that all of you have gotten us to almost 30 chapters! Anyways, I will shut up and bring you chapter 28! As always, love to read those reviews so keep them coming, guys! ^.^**

**Also, one more quick note: I may be working on a new story here soon and would love to see all of you there. It's something that I'm playing around with and am not sure if I want to create it yet, but there might be a new project in the works. Just keep your eyes out!**

**-Casey**

Chapter 28. "Progress"

Blaine held the phone in his grip tightly as if it would disappear or as if Nurse Leila would take it from him at any given moment. Hearing Kurt's beautiful, angelic voice on the other end made the sinking feeling in his stomach ease up on its torment and he felt more at ease than he had in days. Kurt's voice was one of the only things in this world that could be Blaine's personal anesthetic. Just hearing his boyfriend's voice was more calming and soothing than that dreadful syringe could have ever been.

"Have they been treating you OK, honey?"

Blaine could hear the compassion in Kurt's voice even over the phone. He missed him more than words could even express and he would give practically anything to have Kurt here with him now. That was the point though, wasn't it? Send him away so that he could heal by himself without placing additional burden on Kurt. He supposed they were right in thinking that he needed to heal on his own, but that didn't mean he had to like it any. Blaine swallowed thickly and tried to find the right words. It's not that they were treating him badly per se, it was just not the place for him. People who legitimately wanted to end their lives belonged here, not Blaine. Plus, the shock of finding out that Dave's father was his doctor hadn't helped matters any.

"It's-well, it's just not the place for me, Kurt. I don't belong here."

"How do you mean?"

"Well I-" Blaine didn't know how much of a hand that Kurt had in his being brought here and he didn't want to question Kurt's judgment, but in their relationship, nothing was more important than honesty and honesty always won out. "Kurt, this place is for suicidal people, not people like me. I never wanted to kill myself, Kurt, you have to know that. The-the..."

"Self harming?" Kurt finished for him.

"Yeah, that...well, it was just a coping mechanism. It was what helped my brain process everything and it was something I finally had a say in, Kurt. I never would want to leave you like that. You have to understand that...please tell me you understand."

Kurt was silent for a moment which ended up being too long for Blaine. He felt a stray tear fall from his eye at Kurt's hesitation.

"K-Kurt?" Blaine's voice was becoming shaky. "P-please tell me you understand that. Kurt? Are you there?" He held the phone closer to his ear as if it would make Kurt come back if he held on hard enough.

"I'm here, sweetheart," Came Kurt's reply. It sounded shaky and Blaine could detect that Kurt was crying.

"Please tell me you're not crying, Kurt...please," Blaine begged, feeling more tears of his own beginning to stream down his cheeks. Why did this phone call have to be this way? Weren't they supposed to be happy that they got to talk to each other. It seemed every conversation they had right now always ended with some form of crying.

"I'm trying not to, baby, but I just don't know what to do. When you see someone you love hurting themselves like that, you can't help but worry about why they would do it. It's the first conclusion you draw when you see it happening. I've never been more scared in my life, Blaine; it hurt so much to see you like that and I just-"

"I never meant to hurt you, never," Blaine stated as sternly as possible. "I promise, I would never kill myself. I love you too much to do that and I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry and will never hurt you like that again."

"I want to believe you, honey, I do-"

"Y-you don't believe me?" Blaine asked in a whisper, feeling his heart drop into his stomach.

Someone might as well have shot him again right then and there. Hearing the distrust in Kurt's voice was like a knife to the heart. Kurt's faith in him had never strayed and now here he was practically shouting to Blaine that he didn't trust him. It hurt as much as if Karofsky had hit him with his belt if not more so.

"I want to, Blaine, but I need you to do something for me."

"What, Kurt? I'll do anything, please just tell me." Blaine cried out desperately, hastily wiping his tears away before Nurse Leila had a chance to see them. She had been surveying the conversation every few moments and just when she made her next round, Blaine knew he had to hide the tears. If she believed that the phone call was in anyway stressing to him, her patient, she would take the phone away in a second and he couldn't let her do that.

"I-I need you to stay put where you are and accept the help that they're trying to give you. I know that you don't like it there, but they're there to help you. I need you let them take care of you, baby. Right now I can't help you and they can. Please just trust them, Blaine, for me. I-it's hard for me too, honey, not having you here; it kills me. I'd do practically anything to have you home with me right now, but before we can do that, you _need_ to let them help you."

Blaine couldn't help but feel anger boil in his stomach at Kurt's plea. He had no idea what their idea of help was. He didn't mean to have it come out as it did, but words have a pesky way of leaving your mouth before your brain has a chance to process.

"Oh, I have to let them help me, Kurt? Let me ask, did you have any hand in placing me in this particular prison? Huh? The idea of help here is by placing me in a doctor's office for therapy with Paul Karofsky!" Blaine shouted, scratching at his arm but doing no damage as his nails had been filed down to nothing when he got here.

"Oh my God...Blaine are you-"

"I take it you know the name, Kurt? Yeah, that's their idea of help here. Place me in therapy with the man whose son is the reason I'm here in the first place! How is one supposed to perceive that as help? If it is indeed a fact in some messed up universe I think I'd like to hear that explanation, Kurt! I'm sure it's a fucking laugh riot! This place is a prison, Kurt! You don't understand, I need to come home to you and to my parents. Please Kurt, you have to get me out of here. I need to get out...please help-"

Blaine felt the phone tugged out of his grasp. He whirled around to face Nurse Leila who held the phone in her hand with a stern look of disapproval on her face mixed with a bit of shame with herself. She held the phone up to her ear and began to speak to Kurt in a calm, direct tone.

"Hello, this is Nurse Leila Malone with CBHI, with whom am I speaking?" She waited a moment for a response, ignoring Blaine's desperate attempt to grab for the phone. "Oh, yes, of course. Unfortunately Blaine's becoming a bit distressed and we must end his call and place him under phone restriction for sometime."

Blaine felt a stab in his stomach at that. They weren't going to let him talk to Kurt for some time? How the hell long was _some time_?

"Please, Nurse Leila, please give me the phone...I'll be a good boy, I promise. Please just let me talk to Kurt again and I promise I'll be calm. I'll be a good boy, please. Y-you can even beat me if you want to. I won't fight it, just please let me talk to Kurt."

He kept trying to grab for the phone, but Nurse Leila shot him a look of warning and gestured towards a table that held a syringe in the corner. He cowered immediately. "No, please...anything but that, please don't do that," He whimpered in terror.

"You need to calm down, Blaine," She stated calmly after she placed a hand against the mouthpiece.

"Please, don't. I-I don't like needles," Blaine begged and brought his knees up to his chest and sobbed into them.

"Mr. Hummel? I'm sorry but I'm going to have to end the call now so I can tend to Blaine...Within reason...I understand...Trust that we will take good care of him and we'll notify the family if and when he is able to accept visitors or future phone calls...I will let him know...Thank you for your time and have a wonderful evening."

Just like that, Kurt was gone. The worst of it was that Blaine had no idea when he'd get to hear Kurt's beautiful voice again. He really messed up by losing his control like that. If he hadn't screamed at Kurt the way he did, he wouldn't have the fear of not knowing when he would talk to him again. Why did he yell? Why? Nurse Leila wouldn't have taken the phone away if he had just remained calm. Fuck, he couldn't even do that right.

"Blaine," Nurse Leila began, placing a hand below his chin and tilting it up from his knees gently. "I'm sorry I had to do that."

"I-I didn't even get to tell him goodbye...or that I love him," Blaine whispered, keeping his eyes downcast.

"I'm sure he knows, sweetie and he sends you his love. I'm sorry again, but we can't have you stressed like that, it's not good for your progress."

Blaine stayed silent at that. How was he expected to make progress in a place like this when they couldn't even appoint him the right therapist?

"It was my fault; it was way too soon to grant phone privileges and I'm sorry for causing you any pain," She stated, looking a little guilty.

"It wasn't your fault. I-I appreciate what you did, but I just wish I hadn't yelled at him. I just don't know why I'm here in the first place and it's-its just frustrating," Blaine explained, quietly.

"I know it is, sweetie, but things will be right again soon, I promise."

"H-how long is some time?"

"What was that?" She inquired in confusion.

"Y-you said that I wouldn't be able to t-talk to Kurt for _some time_."

"Oh, I see. Well, honey, there isn't really an answer for that. Your health is the highest priority in this facility and we'll do whatever it takes to get you well."

"I _am_ well," Blaine stated flatly.

She responded with a sympathetic smile. "We'll get you there. Right now you're where you need to be, sweetheart."

Blaine let out a sigh of frustration and made to move to bury his face in his knees again, but she spoke too soon.

"I'll tell you what, Blaine. We'll have you in therapy sometime this week and if you can prove to me that you're behaving in those sessions and making new friends here, I may consider taking you off phone restriction," She paused and took in how Blaine's eyes lit up with hope at that. "But, you really must try, Blaine. No half-hearted attempts; I want to see real progress."

Blaine startled himself and Nurse Leila by wrapping his arms around the woman. She smiled and returned the embrace with rubbing gentle circles on his back.

"Thank you," Blaine whispered softly into her hair.

"Just work hard, Blaine and we'll see where we're at, OK? I'm not going to make any promises, so we'll see."

Blaine released her and nodded in response, wiping away at the tear streaks on his cheeks.

She picked herself up off the floor and made her way over to the cart which made Blaine tense. Was she really going to sedate him after all of that? He was calm...she couldn't just come at him with the syringe like that if she wanted him to make progress. But when she turned around, it wasn't a syringe, it was two cups. She knelt back down and offered him the cups.

"One's water and one's medication. You look exhausted and I think it would do to have a good sleep," She explained with an honest smile.

Blaine normally wouldn't agree, but he wasn't really in the mood to push his luck. It wasn't even dinner time yet, but Blaine didn't feel very hungry anyway and this way he didn't have to try to force himself to be social, so it was a win-win. With no additional hesitation, he popped the pills into his mouth, brought the water cup to his lips and drained it.

"Open up," She instructed immediately after Blaine had swallowed them down.

He responded with a bewildered look.

"Oh, I forgot," She replied slapping her head lightly, "Your medication doses start tomorrow so you haven't had to undergo the check. We have to check that you swallowed the pills. It's procedure."

Blaine nodded in understanding and opened his mouth for her and lifted his tongue when she instructed him to do so.

"Very good," She nodded her approval.

Not too long after, Blaine felt the pills begin to take effect as the room steadily became blurry. His limbs started to feel as if they were weighed down by boulders while at the same time, they managed to feel like jelly.

"Let's get you back to your room," She said with a smile and gestured for an orderly to pick him up and carry him off to his room.

* * *

><p>Kurt was surprised when Blaine had been cut off.<p>

"Blaine, sweetie, are you all right?"

_"Hello, this is Nurse Leila Malone with CBHI, with whom am I speaking?"_

Kurt was taken aback at hearing the woman's voice. Where was Blaine and why was his nurse on the phone now and not Blaine?

"Um, K-kurt, Kurt Hummel. I'm Blaine's boyfriend."

_"Oh yes, of course."_

Kurt was relieved that she didn't seem bothered by that fact at all. If Blaine was in the care of this nurse, things should be at least some semblance of OK.

"Sorry to be rude, but where is Blaine?"

_"Unfortunately Blaine's becoming a bit distressed and we must end his call and place him under phone restriction for some time."_

Some time?

How the hell long was _some time_?

"Oh, a-all right. I-uh suppose I understand," Kurt stammered, as he felt his stomach churn.

He would just have to accept it. He didn't make hospital rules and he wasn't one to interfere with the ones in charge of Blaine's care, but it didn't mean he had to like it, though. He just wanted his boyfriend here to tell him it would all be OK, but it would be _some time_ before he could even be granted that_. _He was about to say his goodbyes when he heard Blaine's voice in the background.

_"Please, Nurse Leila, please give me the phone...I'll be a good boy, I promise. Please just let me talk to Kurt again and I promise I'll be calm. I'll be a good boy, please. Y-you can even beat me if you want to. I won't fight it, just please let me talk to Kurt."  
><em>

Oh god...Blaine was regressing back to himself from months ago. He hadn't requested to be beaten in a long while and now here he was OK'ing it again. Kurt placed a hand to his mouth to keep himself from sobbing out loud.

_"No, please...anything but that, please don't do that."_

Kurt's eyes widened.

"Miss Malone? What's going on? What are-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his question. He heard the phone crackle a bit as if a hand was trying to cover the receiver.

_"You need to calm down, Blaine."_

_"Please, don't. I-I don't like needles."_

Oh. That was it. They were threatening to sedate him. Blaine was terrified of needles and he hadn't even considered that there would be syringes in there. He felt his heart break that much more. He knew that Blaine was terrified of them ever since that one day at Dalton during Warbler practice.

_The routine was going flawlessly and that was a severe understatement. They were going to be ready for Regionals and even the New Directions better watch out. Kurt danced next to Blaine, glancing back at him as often as he could; he couldn't help it. He couldn't believe that that gorgeous boy was his. Blaine's hazel eyes soon met his, catching him staring and he shot him a quick wink and a grin while he sang. Kurt felt his knees start to give out, but he remained strong; he didn't want to be on the wrong end of Wes's anger and gavel._

_As soon as the final note of Raise Your Glass was sung, The Warblers all broke out into applause as per usual._

_"Guys, I'd say we're ready for Regionals," Blaine grinned with his usual cocky smile and charming, confident demeanor. He held it as all the Warblers gave him their usual pats on the back of a job well done. As soon as they dispersed, Blaine turned to Kurt and his face fell._

_"I ripped my pants." He admitted with a frowny face at Kurt. The most ADORABLE frowny face, at that._

_Kurt responded with a chuckle at his new boyfriend's pouty lips._

_"I've been with you for only 2 weeks and I already don't know what to do with you," Kurt laughed, taking Blaine by the shoulders and leading him to the couch._

_"All right, you, let's inspect the damage," Kurt teased and looked it over. It was a minor tear in the seam just about mid thigh. "Oh, that's a quick fix. I can do it right now," Kurt replied with a chuckle and reached into his bag and pulled out his emergency sewing kit. He brought out the needle and thread and turned back to Blaine who looked like he had just seen a ghost._

_"Blaine? Are you all right?" Kurt inquired, still holding onto the needle._

_"I don't like needles," Blaine responded with a shake of the head._

_"Oh," Kurt replied in surprise and put it back. He sat down on the couch next to Blaine and placed a hand on his back to relax him. He felt the tension gradually leave from Blaine's shoulders._

_"Sorry, they just-"_

_"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Kurt insisted, but Blaine shook his head._

_"No, it's all right, it's just when those guys-at the Sadie Hawkins' Dance...after they beat me up, they threatened to carve a disgusting word into my skin with a needle. They got my shirt up and were just about to do it, but someone came by before they got the chance and I just haven't been OK with needles ever since," He explained with a shiver._

_Kurt continued to rub Blaine's back as he calmed down and as soon as he did, he released a soft chuckle._

_"Sorry about that. Cue the violin music," He joked._

_Kurt shook his head. "No, I get that it's a tough subject to talk about. Tell you what, just bring your pants to my room tonight and I'll fix them up for you before class tomorrow."_

_"What would I do without you?" Blaine asked batting his eyes at Kurt._

_"You would be wandering around pants less, that's where," Kurt teased back, placing a gentle kiss on Blaine's lips. Blaine responded by placing a hand in Kurt's hair and deepening the kiss._

_Kurt felt his heart soar as he responded to the kiss with a contented 'hmm'. How did he ever get so lucky?_

Kurt came out of the memory and realized that he had been steadily crying for a while. He heard the crackling stop and soon enough Nurse Leila was back on the line.

_"Mr. Hummel?"_

"Yes, I'm still here," He responded trying to disguise a sniffle with a cough.

_"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to end the call now so I can tend to Blaine."_

"I understand...but first, can you please do me a favor?"

_"Within reason..."_

"Please try not to sedate Blaine as much as possible. He doesn't have a friendly past with needles and they terrify him. So if it can be in anyway avoided?"

_"I understand. Trust that we will take good care of him and we'll notify the family if and when he is able to accept visitors or future phone calls."_

"Ok, thank you. Also one more thing, can you please tell him that I love him?"

_"I will let him know. Thank you for your time and have a wonderful evening."_

With that, the call ended. Kurt slowly dropped the phone to his lap. He didn't think he could miss Blaine more than he did at this moment. He hadn't even been gone for an entire week and already he felt as if all the air in the world had been extinguished from his lungs; He felt suffocated.

He lied down on his bed and tried to do his best to breathe until Burt came in and took a hesitant seat on the edge of his bed.

"It went that well, huh?" He inquired, taking in his son's defeated expression.

Kurt just shook his head back and forth and placed a hand to his mouth as soon as he felt the tears making an encore appearance.

"Come here, Kurt," Burt instructed, holding out his arms.

Kurt sat up and fell into his father's arms and wrapped his arms around him in a vice like grip. "I-I miss him, dad...I miss him so much..." Kurt cried as he held onto Burt and buried his face into his father's shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I am awful. I just like that angst, guys. But hey, if we didn't like angst we wouldn't be here, would we? Lol. Well anyways, it's late and I need sleeep. I need to work on not writing this so late at night...but hey, it's when I do some of my better writing, lol.<strong>

**Anyways, send me love, AKA: Reviews. I live for those buggers. -.^ Let me know whatcha think and I'll see you guys soon!**

**Much love,**

**-Casey**


	29. Recovery

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:**

**Guys, no words can express my sincerest apologies for leaving you guys so long. It's kind of funny, when you're the author of a story you think to yourself, "Oh, life's getting in the way, my readers will understand, no big deal..." But when you're the reader of a story you're like, "Bitch, where's my update?" Lol, I know how it is. I'm definitely the reader to a lot of stories and I know I always want updates. So with this new perspective, I feel like a villian for leaving you guys for as long as I have. Definitely not cool of me. So I think what I'll do here is stop rambling and get on with your much anticipated Chapter 29! Thanks for being such amazing reviewers. Your dedication means all the world to me. Also as a note, this chapter is going to flip a lot between present and past encounters. Just as a note. ^.^**

**-Casey**

Chapter 29. "Recovery"

"Hey Blaine, what ya workin' on?"

Blaine looked up from his task at hand and spotted Jillian walking over to his work station. It was visiting day and he had assumed everyone was outside enjoying the warmest day of the winter thus far. Blaine had been invited to come down, but he figured there was no point seeing as he'd been on restriction from all phone calls and visitation during his recovery for the past few months. All it would do is depress him, so instead he decided to stay upstairs in the living area and work on his drawing. He placed his pencil down and greeted his visitor with a warm smile.

It had been three months since Blaine had last heard Kurt's voice. The melodic beautiful tone belonging to the love of his life was beginning to fade into a distant memory. The last words Blaine had spoken to him were meaningless and spoken with such anger. He had spent the last three months regretting it. Kurt had only been trying to help and urge him to let the clinic help him, but instead, Blaine lashed out on him like, well-a mental patient. The thing Blaine had been denying to himself for so long had come into fruition that night. He sounded like a raving lunatic as he shouted at the one person he knew truly loved him. He'd do practically anything to re-live that moment, he'd tell Kurt how much he loved him and wanted to get better so that he could come home to him.

The months had been hard, but Blaine managed with Jillian's help. He had spent a couple of weeks withdrawn and melancholy and doing the complete opposite of what Nurse Leila had requested of him. It was low, but he still refused to believe he had a problem and that being placed here was some horrible mistake. It took meeting Jill and befriending her to realize he really did have a problem and his being here was not a punishment, but done as an act of love by those who cared for him.

He hadn't planned on getting to know any other patients at the clinic, but he had felt a connection to her since the first day they had been brought in. He recalled that first night when she had requested if they could stay in their rooms instead of bonding with the other patients. Her resemblance to Kurt had been what struck him. He remembered the girl with the lifeless brown hair, the creamy pale skin and the eyes that despite the pain they held, were still as beautiful as a calm, scintillating ocean...just like Kurt's.

"Hey, Jill, I thought you'd be down with everyone else. What brings you up here to hang out with the recluse?" Blaine joked.

"Eh, already had my visit with my dad and as you know, that's a visit I like to keep short."

Blaine nodded in reply as she took her usual seat at their usual table. She glanced over at the drawing and gasped.

"Blaine, that's really good! You never told me you were an artist!"

Blaine laughed. "I'm definitely no artist. It's just my way of loving him from afar. I miss him so much and I don't even have a picture of him with me here, so I decided I'd have to make one of my own. Hardly does him justice, believe me."

Blaine had been working on drawing a picture of Kurt as his way of coping. The months really had been hard not hearing Kurt's voice. Not being able to see him or talk to him just made his heart heavy with longing. If he didn't have Jillian, he was sure that he would have lost his mind by now. Had she not gone out of her way to speak to him, he was sure he wouldn't be in the place he was in now.

He had been on his own in the living room on a day very much like this when she had first approached him.

_Blaine sat at a table alone. He had grown fond of this table. It was the furthest you could get whilst still be considered bonding with the other patients. The table sat in the far left corner of the room right next to a large bay window. It would probably be a gorgeous view if Blaine could bring himself to look outside._

_The clinic was located in the middle of nowhere. No cars passing by, just land. Beautiful green pasture with thickets of trees surrounding the grounds. The snowfall was what had Blaine in such a mood. Christmas was quickly approaching and Blaine wouldn't be home for it. Christmas was his favorite time of the year and he was spending it locked in a mental ward. On top of it all, it would be Blaine and Kurt's first Christmas together and he was going to miss it because he fucked up and got himself committed. He could barely stand to look at himself._

_He made it a habit to sit alone. After all, if his own parents and boyfriend couldn't stand being around him, why bother making any friends at all? The homework he had been given was strewn about the table untouched; he felt as if it were mocking him. Dalton had been continuing to send his schoolwork to the clinic and it was like a hard slap of reality. He should be at Dalton doing this work, not in some clinic. He should be with his friends helping them prepare for nationals if they had in fact won Regionals without him. He had faith in his friends, but if they had taken Regionals, that would mean they had beaten Kurt and The New Directions and to him, that didn't seem possible._

_He felt a pang in his heart when he thought about Regionals. He should have been there. With all the people he failed, he even failed The Warblers. He was their lead and he failed them. Blaine sighed deeply and let his head fall onto his notebook. Why did this have to happen? This was his senior year and this was not at all how he wanted to be spending it. When he looked back on high school this is what he'd think of...this was such a mess._

_"Excuse me?"_

_The light voice caught Blaine off guard and he jumped up, startled. The voice didn't belong to one of the nurses. No, this voice was a lot more withdrawn, unsure and quiet, very much like his own._

_He looked up to see the form of the girl he thought had looked like Kurt the night they'd been brought in. She looked like a better sight to behold since that first night, but she still remained uneasy. Blaine didn't respond, he just merely gazed at the girl wondering what she wanted. Did she want him to leave the table because she wanted it? That wouldn't be fair, Blaine had claimed the table first._

_"I-was...well, I saw you sitting here alone and saw that you were working on homework and was wondering if I could join you? But, If you don't want me to, I'm sure I could find somewhere else to-"_

_Blaine mentally slapped himself. Just because he was in the middle of a pity party shouldn't be a reason to forget his manners._

_"No, no, it's all right. Please, take a seat," Blaine responded, moving his school work over so that she could sit down._

_She sat down silently with a small smile and placed her books down where Blaine had made space. She opened one of the books and began taking other items out of her bag to work._

_"Algebra, the worst," She let out with a dry laugh and fell silent almost immediately as she began. If she wasn't here for a problem Blaine wasn't aware of, he could have sworn she was just shy but he knew there had to be more to it than that._

_"I know," Blaine muttered in agreement, "Math isn't my strongest suit."_

_Blaine was taken aback when she looked up from her school work and proceeded to extend a shaky hand out to him._

_"I'm Jillian."_

_Blaine took the cold hand in his own hesitantly. "Blaine."_

_The conversation fell silent after that. Blaine took her presence as an opportunity to finally get some work done._

After that, he and Jillian had begun sitting together every night to do their homework together. They had steadily become friends despite their surroundings. He had found that initially Jillian held the same disdain for the place as he had, but after a few therapy sessions she had come to terms with why she had been brought here. Blaine had still been working on that part.

_"So Blaine," Jillian had started one night. "What exactly brings you here to this fine establishment?"_

_Blaine hadn't been expecting that question. He stopped working on his essay about the industrial revolution and gazed up at her in surprise. They had been doing their homework together for a couple of weeks now and neither one of them had brought up the reason why they were here. Blaine still hadn't come to terms on why he'd been sent to the clinic yet whilst she seemed to be accepting why she had been._

_"Sorry if the question seems a little off, I was just curious. You just don't seem like someone who would belong here, Blaine. I was just curious of your story."_

_Blaine had a loss for words. Could he tell her? He didn't even feel comfortable talking about it in therapy and he was supposed to tell her everything. After all, his therapist had been brought here especially for him after the drama with Dr. Karofsky._

_"I'm sorry, it's not my place to ask," Jillian spoke quickly, dismissing the conversation. She must have taken his shocked silence as a form of refusal._

_"No, I'm sorry, Jillian," Blaine took her hand apologetically. "I just don't even know how to explain it. I'm still not even sure why I'm here; however, as soon as I figure it all out, I promise I'll tell you."_

_Jillian nodded and they both proceeded to get back to their work in an uncomfortable silence._

After that encounter, Blaine had become a little envious of Jillian's understanding on why she had been brought here, so Blaine had begun working harder to gain a grip of understanding on his own situation. He had gradually become more active in his therapy and had started doing more than sitting in her office and nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders at all her questions.

He had to admit, she was an excellent therapist. Dr. Kayla Wainwright. She was young and full of life as opposed to Blaine's idea of therapists. His therapist before all of this had been the stereotypical "Yes, I see and how do you feel about that?" type. Kayla had been trying to get Blaine to open up and had never demanded anything from him, despite how frustrating Blaine possibly had been to deal with. Blaine was one of her only patients; there were only a handful that had been sent to her once she had been requested for Blaine. Dr. Karofsky was the appointed Doctor of the clinic, but he had a quite the slew of kids to deal with, so a little extra help certainly didn't hurt.

It had been about a month until Jillian had finally asked the question that eventually got him to open up about why he was at the clinic.

_"I really love chocolate pudding day," Jillian stated out of nowhere as she shoved a large spoonful of pudding into her mouth._

_Blaine chuckled as he took a bite of his chicken. Fridays were what Jillian lovingly referred to as "Chocolate Pudding Day," it was the day that they served all you can eat bowls of chocolate pudding for dessert after dinner as a reward for the end of the week._

_"Paul says my love for Chocolate Pudding Day is good for me. Gives me something to look forward to," Jillian explained as she finished her last spoonful and glanced over at the counter with the pudding as she debated about going back for more._

_"Mmm," Blaine responded in an uninterested tone as he always did when Dr. Karofsky's name was mentioned. Unfortunately, Jillian had begun to take notice._

_"Blaine," She began, setting her spoon down and forgetting the pudding for moment. "What's your problem with Dr. Karofsky? Every time I mention him, you get this look on your face. I know you see Dr. Wainwright and it's no secret that she was brought here right after you showed up. I don't think it's just a coincidence. Is there something more to it than you let on?"_

_Blaine knew this was coming. They had gone for over a month without talking about what brought them both here and now that time had come._

_"After dinner," Blaine responded quietly, as he picked at his chicken._

_That night had Blaine in a constant bind of anxiety. He knew he had to tell her, there was no getting out of this. He knew he wasn't comfortable with the idea, but how did he expect to get any better if he couldn't open up about it? He had gotten off the hook easily with Kurt because he had already been informed of most of it. This was going to be the first time he actually had to open up to someone and tell them the whole story. Well, he didn't have to but he knew he needed to._

_When dinner was finished, Blaine took Jillian to the table and started to tell her his story. He told her about how he had been kidnapped from Kurt's by David Karofsky, tied up and forced to remain a prisoner in a closet whilst David raped him and tried to convince him that he belonged to him._

_"That's awful Blaine," Jillian whispered with her hand to her mouth, her eyes wet with tears as she listened to Blaine talk about what had happened to him._

_He continued on to how he had taken a vow of silence, how he had tried to return back to school, how Dave had shot him in a jealous rage, how when it was all over he put on an act trying to convince everyone he was all right whilst he had turned to wrist slashing to deal with the internal struggle._

_At the end of all of it, Blaine was in tears crying into Jillian's shoulder._

_"Shh, Blaine, it's all right. You're safe now," She murmured running her fingers gently through his hair in an attempt to comfort him._

_After Blaine had told Jillian his story he felt as if a huge stone had been lifted from him. He no longer felt as if he was walking around with this huge shameful secret. When he had told her everything, she hadn't turned her back on him in disgust like he had expected her to. Quite the opposite, they had grown closer and she had told him what had brought her to the clinic. She was also a self harmer, but she had begun it because her mother had died in a car accident and she had been sent to live with her perfectionist father._

_"Now that I look back on it, I feel silly for even considering harming myself over something so stupid," Jillian had finally admitted after Blaine's story._

_"Hey," Blaine began firmly as he reached out and tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. "Don't you say that. No one should dismiss their pain just because something worse might exist. Pain is pain, Jill. Just because there are worse things out there doesn't change the validity of your pain. Don't ever short change how you feel."_

After everything was out at last, Blaine and Jillian had become extremely close and spent all their free time together, but it was finally on this very day that she finally had a realization.

"This picture Blaine...have you ever considered becoming an artist? Because seriously, it's damn good," Jillian complimented as she admired the shading and life-like quality of it.

"No," Blaine laughed. "I actually plan to go to New York with my boyfriend once I get out of here. He wants to go into fashion and Broadway and I want to be either a musician or an actor."

"Is this him?" She asked holding up the drawing.

Blaine gazed at the drawing with a smile of adoration. "Yes, that's Kurt. The love of my life."

All of a sudden Jillian looked at the drawing then back to Blaine was wide eyes. "Wait a hot second..." She then placed the drawing down and placed a hand on Blaine's head and slicked his hair back.

"Jill, what are you-"

"Blaine, do you normally wear hair gel? Like before you came here?"

"Uh, yeah, why?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"Oh my god! I knew that you looked familiar!" She squealed.

"What are you talking about, Jill?"

"You were the lead singer of the Dalton Academy Warblers!"

Now Blaine was very confused. They had grown close, but where they had gone to school had never been a subject that they had brought up.

"Yeah, how do you know that?"

"I'm so stupid, I can't believe that I didn't realize it until now, but holy shit. Looking at this drawing, I recognized him instantly. You look different without the hair gel, that's why it's taken me this goddamn long to realize it!"

"Realize what?!" Blaine asked, exasperated. The anticipation was killing him.

"Animal," She said simply.

"Animal? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Hang on to your Bobby Socks, girls, cause we're about to rock your world." She quoted with a huge grin on her face.

"That sounds really familiar, what's that from?" Blaine asked, completely confused as he tried to place the quote.

"You, dummy. In a warehouse where you performed the sexiest musical number to the girls at my school, complete with bubbles, beach balls and this boy who was so adorably clueless about sexual appeal," She giggled.

Realization hit Blaine like a smack in the face.

"You were one of the girls from Crawford Country Day..."

"Holy shit, Blaine, that was you! You were all that the girls would talk about for weeks! Actually, they still talk all about you there. You have like your own fan club. Even though two of my friends gave you their numbers and you told them you bat for the other team!"

"Oh my god, you've got to be kidding me," Blaine laughed and put his face in his hands in embarrassment.

"It was so hot, Blaine. Good lord, I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out! I just can't believe that you're the same guy! My friends won't ever believe this when I get out of here!"

"I'm not sure how much of a catch I'll be when they realize that I was in a mental health clinic," Blaine admitted with a short laugh.

"Oh believe me, they don't judge. They'll be entirely jealous that I got to spend so much time with you."

"This is such a small world."

"So you and Kurt ended up together? That is so sweet! He was adorable! I mean, it was kind of funny, but damn, he was adorable."

"He really is," Blaine admitted looking down at his drawing lovingly.

The quiet from the room was broken when what sounded like a couple of people came in. Even though it had been warmer recently, it was still by no means warm. So hearing people start to come in was hardly a surprise.

Jillian all of a sudden grinned like a huge idiot. She looked ready to jump out of her seat. Blaine raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"Something wrong there, Jill?"

"No, no, not at all," She insisted, the grin still plastered on her face. "So, Blaine, do you think you captured the true essence of Kurt in this drawing?"

"No way. The love and liveliness can't be captured on paper. There is so much in Kurt that can't be captured. There's just so much to him...which is what makes me love him all the more."

That's when a voice stopped his rambling in his tracks.

"Damn, honey, I couldn't have said it any better myself, I mean, I know I'm fabulous but you put my words to shame."

Blaine sat in shock for a moment before he turned around and saw the one person who could make his heart stop in an instant.

"Kurt?"

* * *

><p><strong>What a way to leave you, huh? Lol! Lordy, I'm evil. I leave you for months and again, I give you a cliff hanger. Hehehe, it's just how I do, guys. Anyways, we just might have a reunion coming up guys! So I think we'd better prepare ourselves!<strong>

**So what do we all think? Blaine's got a friend, yay! I think I see progress at last! Anyways, please leave those reviews! They still remain to be fuel. They're all an inspiration to read, so let's make them good! Looking forward to hearing from all of you again! Tis good to be back!**

**Much love,**

**-Casey**


	30. Back to Where We Were, Many Decisions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters. Those would be the property of Ryan Murphy, Fox and so on and so forth.**

**Author's Note:Slowly creeps in. Heeeey guys...I am the absolute worst person ever. I took quite an unplanned hiatus from writing. Seriously it was extremely unplanned. I kept meaning to write, but couldn't manage to get this finished. I hate excuses, so I'll stop while I'm still miles behind. :P I'm glad to see there's still a lot of you guys reviewing and PMing me. It gives an author a lot of happiness and inspiration to see when readers love a story so much. You guys have been the most patient, amazing readers ever. I couldn't ask for better.**

**Well, now that I'm back from my awful, horrible unplanned hiatus, how about we read a chapter, eh? I hope you guys like it. It's kind of really late in the morning now that I've finalized this chapter and I am ready to pass out! Forgive me if there's any grammatical or spelling errors, I tried to get them all! I'm just ready to pass out on my bed that I'm currently lying on. I am exhausted! So leave me some reviews and let me know what you think of our VERY long awaited chapter! It's great to be back guys, it really is.**

**-Casey**

Chapter 30. "Going Back to Where We Were, Many Decisions"

Blaine couldn't let go of Kurt. He had been standing with his arms enveloped tightly around the boy he loved for several minutes without even a thought of letting him go. It had been months since he had even heard Kurt let alone had the opportunity to hold him. Warm tears were gently cascading down his cheeks as he managed to wrap his arms a little tighter.

"I've missed you so much," Blaine finally managed to whisper into Kurt's shoulder as he burrowed his nose into Kurt's shirt. The scent of vanilla invaded his senses and created a pang in his heart. God how he missed Kurt's smell. It smelled of love, hope...home.

Kurt responded by combing his fingers through Blaine's uncommonly un-gelled hair. Blaine let his eyes droop closed with contentment. He had to make a mental note to gel less because this feeling was heavenly.

"I've missed you too, honey. I don't think I can even begin to explain to you how much."

Blaine finally managed to let go to look at Kurt. He was glowing; it had been less than half a year, but Blaine's mental picture of Kurt would never do him justice. His cashmere sweater clung tight to his small frame but emphasized the muscles in the most tantalizing way, his skinny jeans fit snug on his hips, the knee high boots...all of it just screamed Kurt. Blaine had to hold back a teary gasp when he noticed the light blue wool scarf wrapped around Kurt's neck.

Whilst in therapy Blaine had taken up crocheting with Dr. Wainwright. She had explained that working on a task whilst conversing was an excellent way of opening up and the technique had proceeded to work wonders. Blaine had diligently been working on a present for Kurt during the weeks leading up to Christmas: a scarf. A simple but warm wool scarf. Blaine knew it held no monetary value, but he hoped that Kurt would be able to feel his love behind it.

"I've worn it every day."

Blaine blinked up from the scarf to look at Kurt who began lovingly tracing his fingers along the scarf's material.

Blaine felt his heart melt as he watched Kurt play with warm fabric hanging from his neck. He liked it, Kurt liked the scarf. The last few weeks Blaine had been agonizing over Kurt's reaction to opening the box he had Nurse Leila send once he had discovered what was inside.

"Y-you like it?" Blaine managed to stutter out hopefully.

Kurt startled Blaine by reaching out suddenly and pulling him back into his arms.

"Of course I do. I absolutely love it."

_Kurt woke up on Christmas morning not feeling particularly cheery. Normally Christmas had him up at the crack of dawn waking up everyone in the household so they could open up the gifts he had spent weeks...not to mention tons of money purchasing. If it hadn't had been for Finn bouncing up and down at the foot of his bed telling him to get downstairs, he might not have even woken up before noon._

_Before long, the living room floor was layered with bits and pieces of paper donning Santa Claus' face, little Christmas trees and the words Merry Christmas. Carole had called for a ten minute pause to prepare some cups of hot cocoa and a plate of the Christmas cookies she and Kurt had baked._

_Once Carole had returned, Burt pulled a medium-sized box that had been hidden way underneath the tree where it could go easily unseen._

_"Kurt, I think this one is for you," Burt stated, placing the package into Kurt's awaiting hands._

_Kurt examined the package looking for who it was from, but discovered nothing, not even after giving it another once over._

_"How do you know it's mine?" Kurt asked dubiously. "It doesn't even say who it's from."_

_"I just have a feeling," Burt explained slyly, placing a loving arm around Carole as he watched his son slowly opening the present._

_Kurt opened the lid of the box and his eyes immediately softened at the contents inside. A simple, light blue scarf lay inside the box along with a gently folded piece of paper and a bag of Christmas cut-out sugar cookies. He gently scooped the scarf out and admired the precise stitching at the obviously hand-made scarf and relished in the effort that had to have gone into it. Sure, Kurt owned many scarves, highly priced, mostly, but sometimes a simple home-made scarf was worth so much more._

_"Carole was this you? It's beautiful! I absolutely love it," Kurt smiled up at her._

_"It wasn't me, honey," Carole replied and exchanged a smile with Burt._

_"Who sent me this, then?" Kurt asked incredibly confused. Who else did he know that could crochet so precisely and beautifully?_

_"Open the note, Kurt," Burt instructed with a chuckle._

_Kurt had forgotten about the folded piece of paper whilst he had been admiring the scarf. He took it in his hands, unfolded it and began to read._

Kurt my love,

I know it's not much, I'm sorry. I had so many ideas of what to get you for Christmas, but circumstances changed a bit. I wanted more than anything to get you more than this but most importantly, I wanted more than anything to be there with you on Christmas. It breaks my heart that I'm not.

I hope despite everything you're having a wonderful Christmas. Hot chocolate and cookies on Christmas morning like you told me, remember? I hope you're enjoying those as you read this. The cookies that I have in here were made by yours truly and Jillian, a new friend I met here. I think you two would hit it off wonderfully, but then again, who couldn't love you?

She said that she hopes you enjoy the cookies, but I know they can't even begin to rival yours! I remember you bringing some to Warbler practice last year around Christmas before we were together. Back when I was too dumb to realize that what we had was more than friendship.

The scarf, well, that began as sort of a therapeutic technique that my doctor was having me do during my therapy sessions. She said that performing a calming task could help ease my mind and make it easier to talk with her openly. She was right...it also helped that I thought of you when I made it. I know you have a lot of scarves, but I never had the chance to buy one for you. (Or in this case, make one). I hope this can find a home in the Kurt Hummel scarf collection somewhere. (He's special! Give him a home, Kurt!)

This note is getting kind of long, but it's been hard not talking to you. I guess this sort of feels like I'm talking to you, even if I can't hear your voice. I have so much hope that we'll be together soon. Therapy has been going very well and I've been making excellent progress. If I can't see you soon, I hope that my phone restriction will at least be lifted soon. I miss you so much. Everyday hurts that much more. I'm a stronger person than I was when I was sent here, but a part of me is still very weak from missing you so much!

Anyway, enough rambling, you go enjoy your Christmas! Build a snowman with Finn, I remember him mentioning something about no one ever wanting to build a snowman with him on Christmas. Stay warm and enjoy watching "It's a Wonderful Life" tonight. I remember you telling me it's tradition.

I love you so much, Kurt. I wish I could be there with you and I can't wait to hold you and tell you how much I love you when the time comes.

Love you always and forever,

Your Blaine.

"After reading your letter, I cried. Reading words written by you just added to the pain of how much I missed you," Kurt explained.

Blaine felt his heart drop. He never meant to hurt Kurt with the letter. "Oh no, I'm so sorry Kurt...I shouldn't have written-"

Kurt held a hand up to cut Blaine off and let out a chuckle. "No honey, I loved reading every word, it just reminded me how much I missed you is all. The lack of communication was killing me. It was like a merciful relief to read words that had come from you."

Blaine let out the breath he had been holding and smiled. "It's been killing me, too. Not talking to you, you don't even know." With that, Blaine flung himself into Kurt's arms again.

"Oh, I think I have some idea," Kurt chuckled and kissed the top of Blaine's head. "I've missed you so, so, so much."

Blaine caught a glance at Jillian who had been sitting at the table attempting to do some work during their reunion.

"Where are my manners? Jeez. Kurt, this is my friend Jillian, the one I talked about in the letter." Blaine introduced, gesturing to Jillian who glanced up from her work.

"It's OK, Blaine. You see me everyday, you haven't seen your lover in months! It's wonderful to finally meet you, Kurt and might I say, you have some rockin' sex appeal," She winked.

"I-what? I don't get it?" Kurt responded, perplexed.

"It's nothing Kurt," Blaine replied quickly, taking him by the hand and dragging him towards the doorway of the living room, "I'll see you later, Jill!"

Once they made their way out towards the stairway leading to the dorms, Kurt questioned what Jillian meant immediately.

"You remember the warehouse? She was one of the Crawford Country Day girls," Blaine explained chuckling as soon as he saw the blush creep instantly to Kurt's cheeks.

To take his mind off of his embarrassing, "sex appeal of a baby penguin" days, Blaine took Kurt off to give him a tour of the place he had been forced/grown to call home these past few months.

"This is my dorm," Blaine announced as they entered Blaine's plain and rather small quarters.

"Nothing like your room back at home at all," Kurt responded taking in the blank white walls and completely void of Blaine's personality.

"Yeah, it's certainly lacking, but the picture helps get me by," Blaine explained gesturing to the photo of the two of them at prom. Unlike Kurt's back at home, this was a drawing of that photo. Blaine hadn't been able to take any pictures with them, so he took what he remembered from memory and drew it.

"That's been getting me by as well," Kurt replied fondly, picking up the photo and running his fingers gently over it. "This is absolutely amazing, Blaine. I never knew you could draw like this.

"We'll get there again, I promise," Blaine stated softly.

"Get where?" Kurt looked away from the photo and stared at Blaine in confusion.

"Back to where we were...before all of this," Blaine explained, holding his arms to gesture at the room.

"Of course, honey, but we never truly went anywhere. I haven't loved you any less, but things can only get better and better from here. Speaking of which, how would you feel about more visitors?"

Blaine blinked. More visitors? Who else would be coming to see him?

"I've missed everyone so much, I could hardly say no," Blaine responded with a smile.

Once the words had left his mouth, a knock sounded on the door frame causing Blaine to turn around.

"Knock-knock! Can we come in?"

"Dad!" Blaine exclaimed, running into his father's outstretched arms. Mr. Anderson looked near tears as he held his son whom he hadn't seen for months. "We've missed you so much, son."

"Yes we have, honey," Came Mrs. Anderson's voice. Not a second later, Blaine was wrapped up in her arms.

Blaine was in uncontrollable tears once the embraces were exchanged. "This is...amazing. I've never been so happy in my whole life," Blaine admitted, wiping the tears from his face. "Apart from Jillian, my friend here, I've been so alone. It's been terrible being away from all of you."

"We've missed you every single day, sweetheart," Mrs. Anderson explained as she pulled her son into another hug and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Blaine felt euphoric. Seeing Kurt and his parents after all these months felt like a kid in an amusement park, he never wanted it to end.

"If you're not too overwhelmed, Blaine, my dad's downstairs. He didn't want to come up if you hadn't been up to seeing visitors," Kurt explained, rubbing Blaine's upper arm.

"Of course I want to see him!" Blaine exclaimed. Burt was like a second father to Blaine, he had missed him as much as he missed everyone else.

The Andersons, Kurt and Blaine made their way downstairs to meet up with Burt. Feeling Kurt's hand in his as they walked made Blaine feel as if he could sprout wings and fly. His heart had never felt so light and everything was just _right_ when Kurt was here. He glided his thumb gently against the back of Kurt's hand as they spotted Burt. He was engaged in conversation with Nurse Leila but as they approached, he turned his attention to them.

"Blaine, it's great to see ya kid!" He called out, extending his arms. The two boys detached their hands so that Burt could get his hug in. "Ya look great!"

"Thanks. You too, Sir." Blaine responded with a smile.

Burt chuckled and put on a mock stern expression. "How many times do I have to tell ya kid? It's Burt."

Blaine laughed along with him. "At least a dozen more times, sir."

Burt rolled his eyes and glanced at Mr and Mrs Anderson. "Something's gotta be done with this kid's manners, I tell ya! He's making me feel like an old man!"

"You're far from old, dad," Kurt encouraged, which put a smile on Burt's face.

Nurse Leila cleared her throat at that time. "Should we make our way into my office so that we can tell him?"

"Yes, I think that would be great," Mr. Anderson spoke for everybody.

Blaine interlocked hands with Kurt again and asked Kurt quietly if he had any idea what they were talking about. He shook his head in response. They made their way into Nurse Leila's office and were surprised to see that Dr. Wainwright was also there, scribbling away on her clip board.

"Burt, Kurt, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson I want to introduce to you Dr. Kayla Wainwright, who has been treating Blaine during his stay with us."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of your acquaintances," Dr. Wainwright stated, standing up and shaking hands with everyone. "Blaine has been nothing short of wonderful since I arrived. You raised a wonderful child," She addressed to The Andersons. "and it's great to finally meet the infamous Kurt and Burt! I've heard non-stop about both of you."

"Nurse Leila, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"We were just getting there, if you'd all like to take a seat?" She responded, gesturing to the set of chairs set out for them.

Once everyone was settled, Dr. Wainwright spoke up.

"Blaine's currently been at CBHI coming up on 5 months now. Initially we were placing him on a two month suicide watch, but additional therapy was required. In the past three months, Blaine has made such remarkable progress, better than any of my prior patients."

Blaine felt a blush adorn his cheeks at the praise and embarrassment from being the main subject of conversation.

"I've been observing Blaine for quite some time and whilst we aren't out of the woods yet, I'm quite certain that he is able to function outside of the walls of this facility."

Was she saying what he thought she was saying? She was wasn't she?

"There will be some strict ground rules should we release Blaine from CBHI. I have an office located in Lima where he will still be required to attend his regular three therapy sessions a week. I'd like to treat this as a trial basis. Should Blaine find himself not being able to cope within social situations or resort to his prior self harm methods, we will request and appeal to place him back into the care of Columbus Behavioral Health Institute,"

They were going to release him? They were going to release him! No more being away from Kurt, he'd have his own bed again, he'd see his parents for dinner every night, he could go back to Dalton and...this all seemed way too good to be true.

"I'd like to ask for your opinions on this," Dr. Wainwright acknowledged to The Anderson's.

Mr. Anderson looked ready and eager to speak.

"If you believe Blaine has made enough recovery so that he can function without being here, we'd love nothing more than to take our son home with us. We can hardly function without him home," The last comment received a nod in agreement from Mrs. Anderson as she took his hand in her's. "We'd be willing to keep up his three day a week therapy and would adhere to the rules you've set."

Dr. Wainwright scribbled a few notes onto her clipboard then set her gaze on Blaine.

"Blaine, what are your thoughts? I can only recommend based on what I see. It's you we're talking about here. You feel the emotion, I just observe. If you don't feel ready to be released, we're more than happy to care for you here at CBHI until you're ready."

How did Blaine feel? He knew being out of the clinic sounded like a dream come true,but part of him was terrified. What if he relapsed? What if the strength he had built here in the last few months dwindled away as soon as he left like a ticking bomb? What if he lost all the progress he made? What if something set him off? Could he risk hurting Kurt, disappointing his family and feeling like a failure again? Were these doubts even normal? Was he crazy and paranoid to be asking all these questions?

"Blaine?" Dr. Wainwright asked, drawing his attention back for his answer.

"I'm not sure," Blaine replied honestly, feeling like he drained all the hope out of the room like a needle to a helium filled balloon.

"What aren't you sure of Blaine?"

"I don't want to become who I was again," Blaine admitted sadly. "I'm scared and I can't hurt everyone like that. I-I don't know what to say; I'm so scared of being wrong. What if I relapse? I don't want to fail everyone again."

* * *

><p><strong>Blaine has the potential to go home! What do you guys think? Will he take it? Will he stay at CBHI? What do you guys think he'll do? What would you prefer? I love to hear your insight! It's great to be back, guys! I hope you liked it and I can't wait to read what you guys have to say! Love you all!<strong>

**-Casey**


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